EVERGREEN
by loveandart3
Summary: Its been 11 years since Kimberly Hart had seen Angel Grove. What has happened in between that time? What happens when she returns? Tommy Oliver never expected to see his first love again, is she what has been missing in his life? Can he accept her past? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Welcome Back

It had been 11 years since Kimberly Hart had seen Angel Grove. And much hadn't actually changed. It was still as beautiful as Kimberly has remembered it. Every tree, every building, and every rock reminded her of her ranger days. She rolled down the taxi's window and took a deep breath of the familiar air. She hoped this would last. She missed everything about this town. Everything.

The flight back from Florida had been long which gave her a lot of time to reminisce. She wondered what her old friends might be up to or even if she would see them. She knew Aisha Campbell was going to Angel Grove University; she was the only one who Kimberly kept in contact with. Kimberly had transferred to Angel Grove University after being persuaded by Aisha. "It's time to come home" were Aisha's exact words in her last email.

So here she was back at her first and only home. She traveled around the world but nothing felt as right as Angel Grove. But of course she did not leave Angel Grove on the best of terms everyone. Her thoughts drifted to Tommy Oliver. She wondered what he was doing this days. Probably married with a couple of kids and a dog and lived in a beautiful home on the country side somewhere. Kimberly laughed to herself.

"What are you laughing at?" The small voice next to her asked. Kimberly turned to look at the handsome little boy who was drooling on her favorite pink sweater. Pride swelled in her at this strong little man by her side. No matter how many tournaments she won or prizes she had gotten in her life, nothing made her more proud than Jackson Hart.

"Nothing baby. Go back to sleep." Kimberly kissed the top of his head.

Her 10 year old son was a trooper throughout every move they've had. She knew it took a toll on his schooling. But she had choice. The alternative of staying...a cold shiver crept up her spine….staying was not an option. She dug her fingernails into the palms of hands at the thought of _him._ Angel Grove had to work out. For Jackson's sake.

The taxi pulled up in front of her hotel. My aunt and uncle thankfully had paid for them to stay for 2 weeks. And in that time she had to register herself and Jackson for school and find an apartment. Aisha said she had some places she found for Kimberly to check out.

"Jackson, wake up baby. We're here." The boy rubbed his eyes and groggily grabbed his favorite dinosaur book and stuffed Stegosaurus that lay on the start next to him.

Kimberly started grabbing their bags out of the trunk when a hotel servicemen rushed out to help her.

"Oh, thank you!" She grabbed her small personal bags as he grabbed the heavier bags.

"Wow Mom, this place is huge!" Jackson looked around as they entered the lobby. From the high ceiling hung a beautiful chandelier. Kimberly wondered if there were real diamonds in there. He tugged on her sweater. She bent down to hear him whisper.

" _Do we have money?_ " Jackson whispered. Kim's heart broke. She knew her son saw their struggle. She sometimes forgot how much he saw as he got older. Sometimes he proved wise beyond his years.

"I've got money saved. We'll be fine." Kimberly took his hand and looked around her.

"It'll be fine." She said in her bravest voice, more to convince herself than her son. He gave her hand a small squeezed. She smiled and squeezed his back. While she was getting her associates degree in Florida she worked late nights at a diner near her aunt and uncle's place. Jackson would often try to stay up and wait for her to read him a story, which always had to be about dinosaurs.

She signed in at the front desk as Jackson went to check out the red plush couch.

"Hi, my name is Kimberly Hart." The receptionist was looked young and bored. She snapped her gum loudly as she typed quickly into her computer. Kimberly stared at the girl's mouth and winced at every pop.

"Here you go, Room 2301, " the young woman placed the key card in front and Kimberly with a loud snap of her gum. Kimberly stared in disbelief and prayed she was never like that when she was younger. Actually she was pretty sure she wasn't.

"Yeah, thanks." Kimberly gave her a forced smiled as she turned around. She gave her room information to the man who helped with her bags. She quickly sent a text to Aisha, grabbed Jackson, and jumped on the elevator.

When they walked into their room Jackson immediately ran and jumped onto one of the 2 twin beds.

"So sooooft!" Jackson said. His voice muffled by the pillow he stuffed his face into. He sprawled his his entire little body out onto the bed.

Kimberly laughed and bounced on the bed next to him. "What do you think champ? We can make this work right?"

Jackson rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. "Are we going to stay...for a while?"

Kimberly sighed. "That's the plan kiddo." She knelt down next to his bed. She took his face in her hands gently.

"You know I'm doing this for us? For you?" She spoke softly. He nodded.

"So we can be safe, I know."

Kimberly sighed. She kissed his forehead and stood up. "You know I love you right?"

"Yes, but I think I love this bed more right now." Jackson giggled.

"Oh really!" Kimberly jumped on the bed and started to tickle him. They were both laughing when there was a loud knock at the door.

Kimberly tried to calm herself down and smooth down her hair as she hopped off the bed. "I wonder who that could be?"

When she looked they the peephole she squealed and threw open the door.

"Hey girl!" Aisha squealed and jumped onto Kimberly. Both ladies embraced tightly and screamed with excitement.

"I can't believe you're here!" Aisha pulled back from Kimberly and looked over her. "You look great."

"Me? You look amazing!" Kimberly hadn't made many friends in Florida, so she was overjoyed at seeing her old friend.

"Oh stop." Aisha pushed her playfully. She looked pass Kimberly to the boy sitting on the bed with his tussled hair. "Well you must be Mr Jackson. I've heard a lot about you." He stuck her hand out.

Jackson bounced off the bed and grabbed her hand firmly and shook it. "Please to meet you too. And I hear a lot about you because I think you're my mom's only friend."

"Jackson!" Kimberly shouted, embarrassed.

Aisha laughed heartily and Jackson smiled from ear to ear at his new friend.

* * *

Before they unpacked anything the trio headed out to find food and to check out the AG University campus. They grabbed some ice cream in the cafe and walked around the grounds.

"Mom, this school looks awesome. I bet they have a killer library! Can I go see it?" Jackson jumped around excitedly causing his ice cream to drip onto his clothes.

"Oh Jackson!" Kimberly groaned.

"Oops." Jackson stood still as his mother wiped at the ice cream on his shirt with a napkin.

"Honey, I have a lot to do, and only 2 weeks to do it. I still have to go register, get my I.D. sign up up for classes." Kimberly looked at him. His eyes were focused on the ground avoiding her gaze. She sighed.

"Hey, I have an idea." Aisha touched Kimberly's arm. "How about I take this little man to see the library while you go and do what you need to do."

Jackson's face lit up. "Oh, yes! Mom, please, please, please!"

She looked at Aisha. "I don't know…"

Aisha placed her hands on her hips. "I run my own clinic. I think I can manage a child Kim. Go ahead. You see that little bridge overpass over there, cross it and walk straight to the gymnasium, go upstairs and three doors to your right you can get an I.D…"

"Aisha, I'm going to get lost!" Kimberly groaned.

"You'll be fine! Ask someone for directions. You're a big girl." Aisha leaned closer to Kimberly. " _And still a hot mama._ BYE!"

Jackson held Aisha's hand as they took off in the opposite direction.

Kimberly couldn't believe they just left her. And her son didn't even say bye. _He so loves dinosaurs more than me_ , she thought to herself. She trusted Aisha and knew she would protect him if anything helped. Kimberly shook her head and turned towards the bridge.

"Focus," she said to herself and started out on her adventure.

She started towards the bridge like Aisha told her to as she also pulled up a map of the campus on her phone to see where she needed to go. She used her index and thumb finger to enlarge the map.

"Oh come on!" Kimberly pulled and tapped on the screen but the map would not get any bigger. "Ugh, I should have majored in graphics. Because this app sucks."

She looked up too late as she walked right into a guy knocking his book bag off his shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She quickly bent down and started to pick the fallen items up.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." The guy bent down gently took a book from her hand. "Hey."

Kimberly looked up and froze. She stared back into soft brown eyes. The man had black curly hair down to his ears and the nicest smile. His blue collared shirt and gray suit pants fit him...perfectly.

"Oh, uh, I'm s-sorry again." She stammered.

"No harm, no foul." He smiled. His teeth were so white. It made Kimberly self conscious of her own. She smiled with her mouth closed. He eyes looked her over.

"The name's Derek." He held out his hand.

"Kimberly." She held his hand. _So smooth._ She let go quickly.

"Well Kimberly," his smile disappeared and he stood up after grabbing the last book. He stuffed it in his bag with a serious look. "Since you've made me late for my seminar and my students are probably on the verge of walking out of my class…"

 _He was a professor!_ "Oh god." Kimberly covered her face with her hands.

"I feel that you joining me for dinner sometime might be the only way to rectify this situation." Derek smiled widely.

Kimberly turned red. "Oh." She laughed nervously. "I don't know about that."

"You usually knock single men over and just walk away?" Derek teased. "Come on, I'll give you my number, and you can decide whether you will continue to break my heart further. I have 5 more minutes before my students get a free period." He taped the face of his watch.

Kimberly smirked. It had been years since she went on a date with a man. Then she remembered the reason why. She couldn't get tangled up with anyone.

"Look, you seem like a great guy...Derek. I'm just not...I just can't right now. Sorry about your students and your bag."

"Maybe I'll see you around campus then. You wouldn't happen to be studying History would you?" Derek called to her as she walked away.

"Sports!" Kimberly shouted back.

Derek crossed his hands over his heart as if he were struck by an arrow. Then he smiled and waved before turning and jogging away. Kimberly returned to her mission, but not before feeling how flushed her face was. It was a long time since anyone looked at her like that. Not since high school.

As she approached the overpass she spotted a group of students practicing martial arts. Nostalgia washed over her. She found some steps and walked down to get a closer look. She stopped a female student passing by her.

"Hi, I'm sorry. My name is Kimberly, I'm new here. Do you know what that's about over there?"

The student looked at the group, "Um, oh, that's the martial arts club. I guess they got kicked out of their usual spot. They're pretty cool I guess. I have to get to class now."

"Thanks!" Kimberly walked closer. She pictured her body trying to remember the moves as she watched the students. She felt the urge to join in. She walked closer to get a better look. As she looked over the students to see who was leading, a familiar voice gripped her heart. She moved around the group to match the voice to the face. The the students actions started to slow down. One of the students stepped forward to lead everyone in a cool down routine. She was lean, fit, and blonde.

 _Katherine_! Kimberly's heart dropped.

Aisha had told her that Katherine Hillard and Tommy had been in on and off over the years. So if Katherine was here, he couldn't be too far off. This was not how she expected her afternoon to go. She started to turn on her heels when Katherine's eyes spotted her. The woman's face fell. Almost into a scowl. She forgot her routine. The students grumbled as they came to a halt.

"Kat? What are you doing?" One of the students asked. There was the familiar voice. The ponytail was gone, replaced with short, clean, spiky hair. The tall, and very grown up, Tommy Oliver turned to see who Katherine was staring at.

Kimberly could not move as she locked eyes was Tommy. It brought her back to the first day she saw him at the martial arts tournament. Except the sweet smile was replaced by a blank stare, as if she were a stranger. He crossed his arms around his chest and his chin tilted up a little as he studying her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb." She said barely above a whisper. All eyes were on her. It was time go.

* * *

Thank you all for reading. I do not own any of these characters blah, blah, blah, etc. I hope I did alright here. This is something I've been working on for a while. I used to love all of these characters when I was little and now my son is into it. So I have recently been able to enjoy the Power Rangers once again. I have not followed many of the series after the original but I have tried. I will step away from the "Ranger" life and build a sort of normal life for these characters. I hope you enjoy the rest of my story there is still more to come!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2** **\- Purgatory**

"What happened?" Aisha asked again as they arrived at Kimberly's hotel room. She had been on silent mode since she rushed into the campus library and nearly dragged her and Jackson out into a taxi. Jackson sat with his arms crossed, disappointed that he hadn't gotten a chance to find good dinosaur book.

Kimberly unlocked the door to her room.

"Jackson, honey, you can rent anything you want. And, uh, call and order something to eat for dinner." She tossed him the remote. Then grabbed Aisha's hand and dragged her into the bathroom and locked the door behind them.

"Kim, what the-"

"Why didn't you tell me Tommy Oliver and Kat Hillard were going to be here!" Kimberly's voice shook.

"What? You saw them? Where?" Aisha asked.

"On the lawn-wait-does it matter? Do they go to the school? I can't see them again." Kimberly tried to pace in the space area but only succeeded on nearly falling into the toilet. She tried to slam the lid down but it closed slowly. Making her face flushed as she saw Aisha out of the corner of her eye trying to hold back a laugh. She let out an exasperated sigh and sat on the lid.

"Kim, I knew that he used to attend. But he graduated and I could have sworn he moved." Aisha placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I didn't know he moved back. I promise you, I didn't know."

"I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I can't deal with this right now." Kimberly buried her face into her hands.

"Deal with what?" Aisha took a seat on the edge of the tub. When Kimberly didn't answer she threw her hands in the air. "You had a bad break up, so what? We all have them! We're adults now Kim. It's been 11 years. Don't get your head stuck in high school."

"That's not it." Kimberly eyes burned with tears.

"So tell me what the real reason is." Aisha crossed her arms, waiting.

"I-I can't." Kimberly shook her head. _I lied and still have feelings for him,_ was what she wanted to say. "

"Well Kim, can't say I'm a little disappointed that you don't trust me." Kimberly looked up to see her friend's face. Aisha looked serious.

"Oh, Aisha, I-" She started to apologize when Aisha broke into a smile.

"I'm kidding." Aisha let out a small laugh. "Look, I get it. Your son wasn't miraculously convinced. You have history with someone other than your first love. And you only told me a little about how that came about, but it didn't seem like that ended well. But Kim, you have a beautiful boy out there. You came here to settle down and make a good home for him. You can't just give up your first day because of an ex you dated over a decade ago."

Kim opened her mouth but Aisha held up one finger that shushed her.

"It's a huge campus, chances are you guys are not even studying the same thing. Don't let him get in the way of things now. You only have 2 weeks to get out of here, so, there." Aisha nodded, completely her speech.

Kimberly smiled. "You're right."

"Right? See I knew there was a fighter still in there somewhere." Aisha seemingly proud of her great advice stood up and pulled Kimberly up with her.

"You got this Kim. You're going to march back to that campus tomorrow and finish registration. Then we're going to go check out apartments. Everything is going to be great!" Aisha squeezed her hands gently.

Kimberly squeezed hers back hoping that would be true.

A knock came on the bathroom door. "Mom! Come on, Jurassic Park is starting!" Jackson yelled from the other side of the door.

The women laughed. "Alright we're coming out."

"Well, I'll leave you two to it. I'll be back in the morning and I'll pick up Jackson. He can hang out with me at the animal clinic." Aisha said as they exited.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh please Mommy?" Jackson clasped his hands in front of him. "You have a cool school but it's no fun for me."

"I love this kid!" Aisha chuckled.

"Alright, it's fine with me if it's fine with you. I hope it won't take too long." Kimberly frowned.

"Mommy you worry too much. You should come watch Jurassic Park and relax with me!" Jackson tugged on her arm. "I ordered popcorn,nachos, and everything!"

"Jackson did you order any food?!" Kimberly exclaimed as they sat on one of the beds in front of the TV.

"Um, the cheese on the nachos!" Jackson answered.

Aisha smiled at his enthusiasm. "Have a good night you two. See you in the morning!"

"Good night Aisha, and thank you!" She smiled at her friend; she really couldn't have asked for a better one.

When the popcorn and nachos arrived that's when Kimberly started to relax, seeing her son completely content with stuffing his face and watching his favorite movie. She wished _this_ moment would last forever. She wasn't ready to face her past yet. She was so happy in the present. She wanted to be able to settle in before having to deal with any craziness. She actually never even planned on seeing Tommy again. She never thought out an explanation. That ship had sailed long ago...right? Then her thoughts went to Jackson's father. She shuddered a that word. She didn't know how Jackson would even react to another man in her life. Not that Tommy would be that other man. He probably hated her. There was Derek. The Derek that she never took his phone number from. _Stupid! Stupid!_

"Mommy, are you paying attention?" Jackson snapped her back to reality.

"Yes of course!" Kimberly lied. She smiled. She would not move him again. They had to stay. She was going to make this work. Just avoid Tommy and Kat and she'll be good. _Yeah..._

The next morning Aisha arrived at 8am. Jackson was usually always the early bird so he was ready to go while Kimberly was just hopping out of the shower.

"Later Mom!" Jackson called as he bounded out the door.

"Good luck!" Aisha sang.

Kimberly cleaned herself up, settling for white long sleeve shirt and faded blue jeans. She topped it off with a heart necklace that her uncle had given her on Mother's day a few years back. It had Jackson's birthstone in the middle, so she brought a little piece of him around with her everywhere she went. She was focused today. She checked herself out in the mirror, tucked her brown hair behind her ear, and gave herself a nod of approval before walking out of the door.

When she arrived at campus she didn't even bother with the phone map. Instead she asked her future fellow students where the buildings were that she needed to get to. She would not be deterred. It took a couple of hours but Kim managed to hand in her transcript and meet with a guidance counselor to select her classes. Deciding it was time for a little caffeine she managed to find the cafe on her own and get an iced coffee.

Walking and sipping, feeling refreshed, she asked someone where she was supposed to get her student I.D. SHe passed by the familiar lawn. Thankfully there was no martial arts practice today. Heading in the right direction, she decided to call Aisha as she walked.

"Hey! How's it going?" Her cheerful voice came through the phone.

"Good actually. How are you guys? What's Jackson up to?" Kimberly missed him, and it had only been a few hours.

"He's great. And really good with the animals by the way. He's currently talking to the dogs we have in the back. No signs of green anywhere?"

Kimberly laughed. "No green. Don't jinxed me. Alright, I'm going in to get my I.D. And Aisha?"

"Yes?"

"No. Dogs." Kimberly said in her most serious tone.

"You know me so well." Kimberly could tell Aisha was smiling on the other side. Then she heard her yell, "Jackson! Your mom said no to Henry!"

"Aisha!" Kimberly exclaimed. She heard Jackson in the background, " _Aw man!"_

She laughed. "Hey they need homes too! Bye!" Aisha hung up.

Kimberly shook her head in disbelief. She and Jackson didn't even have a home yet and he was trying to get a pet. She entered the building, took the steps, and rounded the corner that led to the administration office. She let out a groan. There was a huge line of students lined up against the wall waiting. Kim looked at her phone to check the time. It was 12:30pm. She wondered how long this would take. She peeked around the shoulders of the guy in front of her and guessed it might be another hour. She sighed. She was about to step back into line when she spotted a spiky head of hair and a familiar frame minus the glasses he wore. The man was looking down at his watch impatiently. He turned his head looking at the line behind him and they locked eyes. Again.

Tommy Oliver was looking at her. He pushed the glasses up higher on his nose. Tommy was looking! _Look away!_ Kimberly told herself. She quickly hid behind the guy in front of her. She couldn't leave, and didn't want to stay. She started texting Aisha.

 _K: SEEING GREEN! HELP!_

 _A: Well don't turn pink :P_

 _K: NOT FUNNY!_

 _A: Take a deep breathe._

 _A: *Image Sent*_

Aisha sent her a picture of Jackson wearing a white doctor coat too big for him, holding up a kitten. He smiled so wide eyes were closed.

 _A: *Image Sent*_

Now it was apicture of Jackson petting a dog's head while another doctor was examining it on a table.

 _K: I get it. Thank you :)_

 _A: Focus._

Kimberly imagined she was in purgatory to pass the time. For all the sins of her past, she was stuck here with her ex to torment and remind her of the hurt she caused. She chuckled to herself at the ridiculous thought. But the time did pass, ever so slowly. Kimberly busied herself with an app on her phone. When her eyes started to hurt, she looked up just as Tommy was passing by. He was on the phone, and it did not look like a good conversation. He fidgeted with the glasses on his face as he quickly walked out. She found herself curious as to what made him upset. She wanted to help him. _Curiosity killed the cat_ , she told herself.

A few minutes later, it was her turn.

Kimberly made it outside and closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath of fresh air. She looked down at her new Angel Grove student I.D. She frowned and consciously smoothed down the fly aways she saw sticking up in the photo. Then she looked at her phone. Almost 2 o'clock. _Ugh!_ She started to call when Aisha when sensed someone behind her.

"So you've come back to Angel Grove." The voice startled her. She squealed and turned around throwing a punch.

"Woah!" Tommy effortless blocked her fist.

"Oh my god!" Kimberly tried to put her heart back in her chest and she faced Tommy Oliver. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I mean, I did. But I thought you were someone else. If I knew it was you-"

She thought she saw him almost crack a smile. Though she could have been imagining it.

"What are you doing back?" He asked while adjusting his glasses.

"I heard the education here was second to none." Kimberly teased. Surprising herself. First nealy punching him in the face and now joking as if they were teenagers again. _What is happening?_ She thought.

"I guess I never expected to see you again." Tommy stuffed his hands in his pockets. Something he used to always do. It made Kimberly smile. She pursed her lips and looked down at her feet trying to hide it.

"What?" Tommy crossed his arms now.

"Nothing. Just thinking about the younger you." Kimberly gave him a small smile and tucked her brown hair behind her ear. Tommy blushed and cleared his throat. Something in his face softened. Her heart skipped a beat.

Just as Tommy opened his mouth to say something, a bob of blond hair caught Kimberly's peripherals.

 _Katherine._ Kim smile faded and her heart dropped.

"Kimberly!" Katherine gave her a forced smile. "Tommy I thought you were going to meet me? I was waiting for you." She tiptoed and kissed him in the cheek. Kimberly tried not to be embarrassed but she pulled out her phone to see if Aisha texted her at all. She could use a picture right now.

"Kat, please." Tommy pulled away slightly.

"Well, hi, Kat. Guess I'll leave you two." Kimberly started her leave.

"How've you been Kimberly? What brought you back to Angel Grove?" Katherine grabbed Tommy's hand and faced Kim. Tommy looked as uncomfortable as Kim felt. She wondered if they were " _on"_ or " _off_ " now. Kimberly's eyes looked at their interlocked fingers. She hated the disappointment that hit her.

"Just finishing up school." Kimberly answered. Looking Kat in the eyes now.

"How were the Pan Globals? I heard your team didn't make it to the finals."

"Looks like you're pretty knowledgeable on the subject. Its nice to still have fans." Kimberly answered duly.

Katherine shrugged. Then she started to rub Tommy's arm with her other hand.

"It's nice to see you...two...have been together for so long." Kimberly swallowed the lump in her throat. A pained look crossed Tommy's face. Kat's eyes brightened.

"I tell him that everyday! It's tough, but we're always working on it. Hoping to tie the knot soon." Kat said proudly. "What about you Kim? Anyone _special_ waiting at home for you?"

Kimberly smiled, "Yeah you can say that."

That peaked Kat's interest. Kim thought back to the days when Katherine was under Rita's spell as an actual feline; it seemed as if someone tossed her catnip.

"That's nice necklace." Kat said admiring the jewelry on Kimberly's chest. Tommy's eyes followed. Kim wondered if that was all he was looking at. "So you're still into the color green, I see."

The comment halted Kimberly fantasy. "I'm sorry?"

"Your necklace. It's green." Kat stated, and lifted her chin.

"So?" _When did this girl get so snotty_ , Kimberly thought.

"Katherine, come on." Tommy said trying to dissolve the tension. "I think it's time to go."

"No, we're all adults here. What's your problem Katherine? Is there a particular reason I can't own something green? We are not in high school." Kimberly balled her fist. "It's been years since I've seen you so I can't believe I've ever given you any reason to have an issue with me!"

Katherine's mouth gaped like a fish out of water. "You're right we're not in high school. You and Tommy are no longer together. Just making sure we're clear!"

Kimberly turned red, mostly out of anger. She looked at Tommy. The muscles in his jaw flexed. _So he was going to let his girlfriend just go bananas jealous over him,_ she thought. She shook her head.

"You know, Katherine, you should be a bit more grateful." Kimberly said. Her eyes shifted to Katherine. Her voice shaking with emotion.

"I don't know what you mean." Katherine crossed her arms across her chest.

"If I never left, you wouldn't be standing there." Kimberly didn't wait around to hear anything else.

She walked off and let her tears flow freely. The truth hitting her like a truck.

Kimberly made it back to her hotel room. She jumped in the shower and continue to cry. What would her life have been like had she stayed in Angel Grove? She thought of all the terrible things that could have been avoided. She would have graduated with her friends, continued to be a ranger for a bit. She probably would still be able to do gymnastics as a hobby.

She squealed as the shower turned cold. Shocking her out of her heartache. She got out and wrapped herself in a soft white bathrobe and quickly texted Aisha letting her know she was home. Determined not to be consumed by her feelings. She focused on something that forced her to be strong. Being a mother. She went on her laptop and started looking at the elementary schools and apartments. She remembered the few that Aisha suggested. It was too late to visit apartments now but she set up meetings for tomorrow.

Just as she was feeling productive there was a knock on the door. She closed her laptop and went to open the door.

"Mommy!" Jackson threw his arms around her legs.

"Hi baby! How was your day? I saw some pretty cool pictures of you." Kimberly squeezed him back.

"It was awesome! I want to go back!" Jackson said. "Oh, and we brought you back a surprise. I don't know if you'll like it but Aisha thinks so."

Aisha appeared in the doorway. A goofy grin on her face.

"I swear, Aisha, if it's a puppy-"

Aisha waved something over to her. That's when Zack Taylor appeared in the doorway.

"Hey girl!" He flashed his dazzling smile and opened his arms.

"Ahhh!" Kimberly threw her arms around him. "Oh my god Zack."

She pulled away and looked him over. "Look at you! You have some facial hair going on there."

"Kim, are you crying?" Aisha looked concerned.

"I guess so. I'm sorry." Kimberly wiped her face and sniffled. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me to Kim. I got to hang out with your little man today. He's a real cool dude. You did good." Zack nodded towards Jackson.

"Thank you, Zack. Come on in please." She stepped aside to let them enter.

"Let's order pizza!" Jackson said.

"I'm pretty hungry we may have to order a lot of pies." Zack dramatically rubbed his stomach, making Jackson laugh.

"I think we'll manage with two large pies." Aisha rolled her eyes.

"I get to decide toppings for the first pie!" Jackson raised his hands.

Zack bent down in front of him and they discussed toppings. Kimberly watched the way Aisha looked at Zack. She needed to find out the history there. Watching her son and her friends having a good time together, seeing Jackson finally be able to socialize with people other than her uncle and aunt, was good. This is what she returned for. He needed this. _She_ needed this. She needed to forget about Katherine. She touched her necklace thoughtfully. She remembered the Mother's Day that she received it. It was a small white box with a note folded inside.

 _Kimberly, we've watched you grow with Jackson and could not be prouder. Someday's are going to be hard. But it's the days where your hard work pay off, where the world becomes touched from the wonderful human being you raise, that make it all worthwhile. There may be tears, but there will be joy. Put one foot in front of the other. Take it one day at a time. Happy Mother's Day Kimberly for it is well deserved._

And that was all she had to do. She quietly thanked her aunt and uncle for their encouragement and put one foot in front of the other, joining in on the toppings debate.

"You can never go wrong with pepperoni." Kimberly offered.

"Uh, Mom everyone knows bacon is the best!" Jackson said.

Everyone laughed. Aisha touched her arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." Kimberly nodded. She honestly felt that she would be okay. "We can talk about it another time. Let's feed these hungry boys."

"Deal." Aisha wrapped her arm around Kimberly's waist and smiled. "See, not all blast from the past are bad."

"No. No they're not." Kim smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Morning Coffee**

Tommy buried himself into his work in his study trying to ignore the fact that the ex-girlfriend who broke his heart over a decade ago was now back in their hometown. It had been a couple of weeks since he last saw Kimberly Hart. Since he lived close enough to campus he would rush home right after his classes. He convinced himself he wasn't avoiding her. Just avoiding any chance encounters with her. He had enough to focus on this being his last year for his PhD. And he was still volunteering for some clubs on campus, and running his own martial arts school on the weekends. So he didn't have time for delving into the past.

He leaned back into his chair and stared at the wall.

It hadn't felt like he was delving into the past when he saw her though. It felt as if she had never left. She still kept her beautiful soft brown hair the same short length. She still tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. She was still as beautiful as when he last saw her.

"What's got you smiling?" Kat's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Tommy sat up straight and saw her standing in the doorway holding two cups of coffee.

"Kat, what are you doing here?"

She frowned, "There's nothing wrong with making you a cup of coffee right? Is that not allowed?"

She walked in and placed the cup of coffee in front of him. Leaning close enough for him to catch the scent of her sweet perfume.

Since their last year of high school they had been an on and off couple. Tommy had to admit that they did have a good year or so together. But something didn't click with Katherine. And he knew she felt the same way. She would go out of her way to do everything and anything for him and it would push him away. Then she'd cry and beg for him to love her like he used to, he'd feel guilty, and they'd be back together again. They did try dating other people for a while. And he thought she had found a guy who was going to stick. But a year later she was back at his door. Though it was probably his own fault for giving her a spare key. He was often out of the house and let her stay when she wanted. But it was starting to take its toll. They had spoken of her not coming by anymore, but every Saturday morning she was there...making coffee.

Since seeing Kimberly something had changed. Something in Kat's attitude. She would call him every night and he would say he was busy. One time he walked into his house and found a candlelit dinner and said he had forgotten something at his school and walked right back out. She's was trying hard for something to happen again. But this time it was different. Kimberly had awakened something in him. Maybe it was hope. _Hope_. The word brought him chills. Kimberly was his first love. What if they _could_ be together again? Tommy's heart quickened. _No way...right?_

"How about breakfast?" Kat asked. She leaned against the wall studying him.

"Kat, we've talked about this. A lot." Tommy moved the cup of coffee away from his papers.

"It's not too late to transfer schools you know." She offered.

"And why would I do that?" Tommy looked up at her confused.

"You know why." Kat answered.

"Because of Kimberly? I'm not going to go through the hassle of transferring in my last year because of an ex girlfriend." Tommy shook his head. "It's not happening Kat."

"Well why can't you do it for me." She begged. This is what got him every time.

"Katherine we are not together." Tommy turned his chair. "I appreciate the coffee, but please return my key."

"We used to have a lot of fun together. Even when we _weren't_ together." Kat said seductively.

Tommy rubbed his temples. "And it's been a long time since that happened."

"Last year to be exact." Kat smiled.

Tommy remembered it vividly. He had a few cups of wine when they went out to dinner one night. He was feeling particularly lonely, she was coming onto him. It was a weak moment. He promised himself that he would be better. It wasn't fair to her or himself. He also hadn't had any wine since then either.

"Tommy, you were willing to try before. We're great together and you know it." Kat spoke softly.

"Kat please stop. You know it kills me to say this over and over. I just can't try anymore." Tommy turned back to his papers.

"It kills you to say it because you still care for me!" Katherine cried. "This is all because of her!"

"Who? Kim?" Tommy sighed and stood up. "No it's not Kat. Please stop."

"Because you still love her! I never had a chance! Now she's back and you're going to forget like anything ever happened. _She_ broke your heart. _I_ was there for you. What did I do wrong?" Katherine yelled.

"Nothing. I don't know! I just don't love you anymore Kat!" Tommy shouted back.

Katherine stood there at first looking stunned and then angry. He hadn't ever raised his voice before. She always pushed too far. He shook his head, and then thought he should apologize. But maybe this was for the best. He needed some air.

"I'm going to go out." Tommy brushed past her and grabbed a jacket down the hall. "Please...just...just be gone before I come back. And leave my key on the counter or something. Goodbye Katherine."

Katherine winced as he shut the door. She refused to cry. Instead she vowed to herself to make Kimberly's life the same hell that she had to endure.

* * *

Kimberly had made it 2 weeks without seeing either Katherine or Tommy. She was happy for it. She was able to focus on her classes and settle into her new apartment. Jackson loved having his own room and reminded her every night. She and Jackson used to share a bedroom at her uncle's house in Florida. It was refreshing to have her own space too. Jackson especially love being able to decorate his room, dinosaur themed of course.

She found an elementary that would take Jackson. He had taken a placement test to see if he would be up to speed with the rest of his classmates, and he passed with flying colors. Kimberly was thankful that he hadn't fallen behind with their moving around. And he loved his school. Another plus.

Now it was Saturday and Jackson had to tag along with her to the campus. She had to study at the library for a paper she needed to write. As long as he had a good book he could be content anywhere, which she loved about him. After studying a few hours they were both hungry and went to the cafe for a break. But not before he made her take out a book he found interesting.

"So what did you find?" Kimberly sat across Jackson at the cafe. It was bustling with students and very loud as everyone was trying to talk over each other. She got a apple turnover and coffee while Jackson ordered a pre-made turkey and cheese sandwich and orange juice.

"Something about the history of dinosaurs. I think." Jackson frowned as he flipped through the book.

"Sounds boring." Kimberly teased.

"Mom! It's my favorite book ever!" Jackson looked up at his mother to see her laughing. "See, look at this one! How awesome does that Triceratops look?" He turned the book around to show her the picture.

"Oh! That is a pretty cool picture. I knew a triceratops once." Kimberly winked at her son.

"Oh, please Mommy. There are no more dinosaurs." Jackson rolled his eyes and went back looking at his book. Which Kimberly was sure he didn't know how to read.

Kimberly smiled to herself. One day she would tell her son about her Ranger adventures. If he thought dinosaurs were cool now she couldn't imagine what he would think of the old zords.

"Check this one out Mom!" Jackson turned the big book towards her and managed to knock over his cup of orange juice which also knocked over her cup of coffee. Filling her lap with a coffee-pulpy mixture.

"Jackson!" Kimberly yelped at the lukewarm mixture through her jeans.

"Oops! Sorry Mom! I'm sorry!" Jackson cried.

"Okay. It's okay Jackson." She stood up and the liquid dripped on to the floor. She looked at the faces of a couple of student nearby who quickly turned away and started to whisper. _Great,_ thought Kimberly. She looked around the cafe and spotted a sign for the bathroom.

"Okay, I'm going to go into the bathroom, it's right over there. Stay here. Don't go anywhere, got it?" Kimberly warned.

"Yes mommy." Jackson said obediently.

Kimberly walked away, though it felt more like a waddle.

* * *

Tommy enjoyed the environment of Angel Grove campus. There was something relaxing about it even with all the students rushing around. Today was a lot quieter though being Saturday. He headed to the cafe and ordered a coffee. He never got to enjoy a cup earlier that morning.

He sat down at the only empty table, wrapped his fingers around his cup, and took a deep breathe. He closed his eyes and replayed the morning over in his head. Maybe he should transfer like Kat suggested. Move out of Angel Grove, finish his education elsewhere. He won't even tell her where he was moving too. That thought appealed to him. No more unexpected visits.

But he knew he couldn't leave. He worked too hard to start over. Paleontology was not as easy as he thought. And definitely not as fun as he expected. But for some reason it was all that made sense to him. It was his second passion after martial arts. Since he studied the arts for so long he thought it would be a good idea to study something else.

Tommy opened his eyes and stared forward at nothing in particular when something stood out to him. A child sitting at a table alone. He looked around and it didn't look like anyone anyone was missing a child. Not many college students brought their kids around. He got up and moved to the other side of his table, closer to the boy.

"Uh, aren't you a little young to drink coffee?" Tommy said to the boy. He was reading a book but turned to the him.

"Coffee is gross. I did have orange juice but I spilled it on my Mom." The boy shrugged. "Which isn't entirely my fault. She doesn't think that I can stay at home by myself so she brought me along. But I could have stayed home. I am 10 after all."

"Hey, accidents happen." Tommy smiled. He spotted the book in front of the boy. "What are you reading?"

The boy turned around in his chair to kneel facing Tommy. He held up the big book.

"It's a book about dinosaurs. They're my favorite." The kid smiled brightly.

"The Cretaceous period. Good choice. Looks like we have something in common. Dinosaurs are my favorite too." Tommy smiled.

"Really?" The boy was astounded.

"Yeah. I'm actually studying about them here at school." Tommy said.

"Woah!" the boy was excited. "I can learn about them even when I'm older?"

Tommy laughed. "Absolutely kid." He stretched his hand out. "My name is Tommy."

"Jackson." The boy shook his hand. Then he looked down at the book in his hand. "So are there any books that have more pictures? This one has a lot of words."

Tommy started to answer when Jackson pointed. "Hey, that's my mom!"

Tommy went pale. "Kimberly!"

Kimberly spotted him and turned bright red. "Tommy?"

She stopped scrubbing her jeans with the paper towels in her hands.

"Jackson, put your book away. We need to go." Kimberly rushed over to her table and started getting her things together.

"Why can't we stay? He likes dinosaurs too!" Jackson tried to pull her arm. She pulled away.

"Jackson! Get your things and let's go." Kimberly's raised voice stunned the boy for a moment but then he did as he was told.

"You have a son?" Tommy was still in shock. "You have a kid."

Jackson was finished and Kimberly grabbed his hand and tried to walk around Tommy who stood to stop her from leaving. Kimberly stopped.

"How? I'm mean, who's the-" Tommy started to look down at Jackson who was eagerly looking between him and his mother. Tommy realized this might not be the time to ask questions. But he searched Kimberly's eyes for some sort of answer.

"I have to go Tommy. I have to change and I am very busy." Kimberly swallowed. Her eyes began to glisten with tears.

"Right." Tommy stepped aside and she walked away with Jackson trailing behind her. The boy turned to look at Tommy. He thought there was something familiar about the boys face.

He never expected Kimberly to have a child. She was a mother! Tommy looked at the two walking out of the cafe. Confused as he was about his feelings for her, he was sure of only one thing.

Jackson could not be his son.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 (Morning Coffee Part Two)**

Tommy busied himself for the rest of the afternoon. He went to his school, Sunrise Martial Arts, that he and Rocky DeSantos ran together. There were sessions going on when he entered. He looked at all the students with pride. They had students from young to old. He went to look on his youngest students, that class was taught by Justin Stewart, who had been their youngest ranger. He volunteered to teach the 7-12 year olds.

Tommy always wanted to have a family of his own, he just never found the right person to share that with. His thoughts went back to Kimberly and her son. She had a family. She broke up with him and had a family with someone else.

He could have given her that. If she would have stayed, or even returned, he would have given her that. He felt sucker punched even so many years later.

He found an empty room and set up a punching bag. He didn't change his clothes. He took off his shirt and threw it to the side. He began to punch out every thought.

First the old feelings that he still had for her. _How does she still do that to me?_ He punched the bag. _I'm over you._ He punched again. _I'm over you!_ He punched harder. _I'm angry with you. After all these years. Years, Kimberly!_ He double timed his punches. _You can't show up. Not now!_ He hit the bag with all his might and let out a pained cry.

He sat on the floor with his back against the wall. He hit his head against the wall once. Then held his head in his hands.

"Tommy?" He looked up to see Rocky standing in the doorway. He had gotten bigger since high school.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Tommy pushed aside his thoughts and jumped to his feet. "Do you need me?"

"I could ask you the same thing? I think everyone heard you. Is everything alright?" Rocky walked over to him.

"Not really."

Rocky nodded. "Listen, I'll clean up, meet me out front. I know the best place to relieve stress."

"Sure." Tommy shrugged. He welcomed any distraction.

Twenty minutes later they were driving. Rocky assumed command over Tommy's jeep and they were driving down a familiar road.

"The beach?" Tommy looked at Rocky.

"Yup. Who doesn't like the beach?" Rocky grinned.

Tommy chuckled.

Once they parked Rocky jogged over to the surf shack and rented two surfboards.

"And what do you suggest we do about our clothes?" Tommy pointed to Rocky's shorts and his jeans. Rocky frowned then looked around him. He spotted another small shop. They both were able to find the right attire. Even though Tommy had to wear a hideous shade of orange.

"Yeah orange is not your color." Rocky laughed.

"Yeah, thanks man." Tommy laughed along with him. "Now let's go catch some waves."

It seemed to be a good Saturday afternoon to go to the beach. Children ran around kicking up sand, families were sharing lunches, and young adults played volleyball while others surfed. The waves looked decent. Tommy thought back on his days at the beach as a teenager. Life was good then, minus the puddies or Rita and her monsters. But with the team he had, life was never that bad.

They headed to the water and made a competition of who could catch the most waves. After some time Rocky finally wiped out.

"Dude, I need a break. I don't know how you can still stand on that board." Rocky tried to catch his breathe as he dragged his feet across the sand.

 _The pure determination to not think of anything else,_ Tommy thought. "Alright let's go back. I could eat."

They headed to the boardwalk and stuck their boards in the sand when they found a spot to eat. They ordered burgers and fries and sat at the bar stools.

"So, what's going Tommy? I haven't seen you this worked up since Kimberly's letter." Rocky took a huge bite of his burger.

Tommy gave Rocky a look like he was spot on.

"It is Kimberly!" Rocky spitting some food out and almost dropping his burger. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah. She showed up." Tommy sighed loudly.

"Wow." Rocky shook his head. "Well, how do you feel about that?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here." Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "The scary part is that it was almost easy to let her back in."

Rocky nodded. "You guys did have something special. And wait, what do you mean almost?"

"Turns out she has a kid." Tommy curled his fists.

Rocky put a hand on his shoulder, "Well that's a horse pill to swallow. She left you, even though she loved you. Then loved someone else and had kid with him."

Rocky stopped when he saw Tommy's face. "Sorry, I guess I didn't need to say it out loud."

"No. You didn't." Tommy said flatly.

"Well if it isn't the masters in the art of stuffing their faces." A husky voice came from behind Tommy.

He spun around to see Jason Lee Scott smirking. Tommy smiled widely.

"I don't believe it!" Tommy stood up and hugged Jason. They clapped each other on the back.

"Dude, you look good!" Rocky hugged Jason next.

Jason playfully popped the collar of his white button shirt. The shirt hung loosely outside of his black dress pants.

"I almost didn't recognize you without all your hair." Jason pointed to the top of Tommy's head.

"Thought I'd try to look like an adult. You're not so baby faced anymore." Tommy teased. Jason touched the hair growing on his face.

"What are you doing here in town?" Tommy motioned for him to join them.

"Most importantly what are you doing wearing a getup like that to the beach?" Rocky teased.

"On business." Jason took the empty seat by Tommy. He ordered a beer. "My company "Fresh Waters" is having a conference here in Angel Grove."

"Oh, is that for the clean water wells in Africa?" Rocky asked before stuffing his face again.

"Yes actually." Jason was impressed.

"Well you're a well informed sensei." Tommy said.

"I have some students who had volunteered some years back." Rocky shrugged.

"What are you guys doing now?" Jason took a gulp of his beer as it arrived.

"We decided to open a dojo together. Sunrise Martial Arts. You dig wells, I dig up bones." Tommy quipped.

Jason gave a inquisitive look.

"I'm studying paleontology. Finishing up the last year of my PhD."

Jason nodded. "Just couldn't let go of the dinosaurs could you?"

"Something like that." Tommy smiled. "So you have a break or something?"

"Oh." Jason looked down at his clothes. And shrugged. "I needed a break. And a drink." He grinned.

"Too bad Tommy doesn't drink, because he could use one too." Rocky nudged Tommy.

"Oh yeah? What's eating you? I'll order you a drink." Jason started to call over the bartender.

"No, no that's not necessary. I'm fine. Just needed sometime to recover." Tommy stopped him.

Jason put his hand down and started to finish his own beer.

"Kimberly is also back in town, and has a kid." Rocky said.

Jason began to choke.

"Woah. You alright there?" Tommy started patting his back.

Jason slammed his glass down and tried to stop coughing.

Rocky and Tommy looked at each other. Jason finally calmed down and cleared his throat.

"Really?" When Jason spoke his voice was huskier than usual.

"About Kim? Yeah. You alright man?" Tommy asked again.

"I'm fine." He wiped his mouth and looked down at his phone. "My break is over. Let's do this again." Jason slammed down a few bills.

"Hey, you should come by the dojo sometime. Or actually come to Tommy's 30th birthday party! It will be right here at the shack, next Friday. If you're in town that long." Rocky offered.

Yeah, maybe." With that he walked away hurriedly.

"What do you think his problem is?" Rocky asked.

"I wish I knew." Tommy shrugged. "What a day though."

"I think you need some closure man. If you see her again, you should talk to her. Find out what happened. That way you can move on." Rocky suggested.

"I guess." Tommy said. He did have a lot of questions. Mostly _why_?

"Let's talk about your birthday instead, I can't deal with melancholy Tommy. It's depressing." Rocky teased.

"What did you have in mind?" Tommy tried to lighten up.

He half listened as Rocky gave a rundown of next Friday evening's schedule of events. His thoughts running through the morning. Kat, Kimberly, Jackson, and Jason. He was sure no one ever had to deal with their past all in one morning like this. But Rocky was right about closure. I had a lot of questions and would ask Kimberly the next time he ran into her. Then maybe he could let her go.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - School Trip**

Kimberly stood in front of her mirror and looked over herself. After five outfit changes she finally settled on black slacks and a white blouse that had pink trimming strategically placed so it wasn't too odd.

It was Monday morning and she had an interview at Angel Grove High School. She got a bachelor degree between schools in France and Florida for Sports Medicine and was going to try to put that to use. She needed to get some hours of experience while doing her masters. She figured she could help out as a trainer with the sports teams at Angel Grove. Even if she could never do gymnastics again she wanted to help other athletes stay safe and train well.

She was picking herself up by the "bootstraps" as Aisha and Zack had told her over the weekend. She had called Aisha after her run in with Tommy on Saturday. Now the cat was out of the bag about Jackson. She had wanted to make some sort of explanation before that ever happened. If it ever were to happen. But it happened and all she could do was cry. She saw the betrayed look on his face. She took Jackson to the park and called Aisha. She happened to be out on a date with Zack. Apparently they were a hot item for a couple years now. Zack had a sick dog, brought it into her clinic, and couldn't keep his eyes off of her. And the rest was history as they say. Aisha talked her of the ledge. She heard Zack in the background sharing advice also. They both told her to focus but with so many run ins to Tommy, maybe she should have a talk with him. It was about time to clear the air with him, especially if she got so upset every time like this.

"Mom, let's go! We're going to be late'" Jackson yelled from another room in their apartment. Today there was a school trip to the museum and Jackson could barely sleep because of his excitement.

She gave herself a nod of approval and headed out to the kitchen where Jackson was shoveling cereal into his mouth.

"Woah carnivore. Slow down before you choke." Kimberly said. She grabbed her keys and purse.

"This is cereal not meat Mom." Jackson wiped his mouth and put his bowl in the sink. Kimberly shook her head amused at his correction. He grabbed his backpack and joined her by the front door.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Of course!" Jackson pulled open the door and ran out to the corner to grab a cab. Since he learned how to whistle he wanted to practice hailing cabs in the morning. On her list of things to do since returning to Angel Grove was to buy her own car. But that required money, which was made by having a job. Jackson successfully caught the attention of a cab driving by and they hopped in. The first stop was to Jackson's school. The next was her alma mater high school. As the car pulled up to the school a feeling of nostalgia hit her. So many memories. Not many people would ever be able to say they had a high school experience like her and her friends. Suddenly she felt confident that today was going to be a good day.

She entered the building and walked through the halls and everything came back to her. She touched her locker and looked down the hall where Skull and Bulk would always pop up to tease or bother her. The steps where she would often walk with Trini and Zack.

"Ms. Kimberly Hart." A voice called from behind her. It was Principle Caplan.

"Goodmorning Principal, it's great to see you again." Kimberly fought the urge to bound toward him and hug him. The old man might have a heart attack so she advised herself against it. She settled for being as professional as she could by shaking his hand.

"Well you've turned into a fine young lady. It's always great to have old students come back to help out around here." He smiled. "Sorry to hear about the Pan Globals; I was rooting for you the whole time."

"Aw thank you Mr. Caplan. It was a learning experience all the same. Something I can use to help others understand the importance of training, perseverance, and determination. Win or lose." Kimberly said.

"Absolutely. Our young athletes could learn a lot from you Kimberly. It would be great to have you here. So step into my office and let's talk salary." Kimberly smiled to herself as she followed him, for the first time ever, into the principal's office.

* * *

Tommy looked at himself in mirror if the staff room. He liked to volunteer at the museum on tours. He loved teaching others about dinosaurs. Even before getting the title of doctor he loved wearing a white lab coat. Kids loved it especially. Educating kids never felt like work to him. It gave him practice with his own studies.

He put his glasses on and left his belongings in an empty staff locker. He was meeting an elementary school today. He stood by the entrance waiting patiently. He spotted a bus pulling up.

The little humans began to jump off of the bus. One teacher led the front of the line and two followed up the rear. Tommy counted 20 students. Then his eyes found a familiar face.

"Hey! I know him!" Jackson called out and pointed.

"Jackson, we're walking in a quiet line please." The teacher at the front of the line scolded him.

Jackson still beamed, quietly. Tommy couldn't help himself but smile.

The class finally reached the top of steps.

"Hi, I'm Ms Scott. And back there is Mr. Tate and Ms. Joseph. Are you Mr. Oliver? We have a 10am tour." Ms Scott smiled. She looked Tommy over.

"Yes, I am." Tommy greeted her.

"Okay class. This is Mr. Oliver and he's going to be leading our tour. We will follow him, not wander around the museum. We will not call out. We will raise our hands if we have any questions." Ms Scott instructed.

Tommy spotted a hand raised. Ms. Scott let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes, Jackson."

"Is he a doctor?" Jackson asked.

"Um-" She turned to Tommy.

"I am studying paleontology. I won't get my doctorate until next Spring. So not yet, but close." Tommy answered.

Jackson raised his hand again. "Yes, Jackson."

"Can I call you Dr. Oliver anyway?" Jackson shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "It sounds way cooler."

Tommy couldn't tell help but chuckle. "Sure." He liked this kid.

"Alright everyone, let's get this tour started!" The kids murmured excitedly and followed him through the doors.

Tommy had picked up a few facts about some of the other exhibits throughout the museum. He had been volunteering for over a year. He used to join some of the other tours in his spare time. He watched as the kids soaked in all of the information. Jackson seemed to hang onto his every word. They finally reached the best part of the tour that every kid enjoyed.

As they rounded a corner there was a mixture of "oohs" and "wow's" and pointing as the children spotted a long necked,four-footed, skeleton.

"Can anyone tell me what type of dinosaur this was?" Tommy asked. He looked at Jackson expecting him to answer. But the boy was quiet. "Anyone?"

"I bet Jackson knows." A kid who was a lot bigger than Jackson said.

"Well, Jackson?" Tommy came next to him. The boy looked up at him, seemingly embarrassed.

"Yeah Jackson, we all know you're the dinosaur nerd." The Big Kid teased. His classmates laughed.

"Hey, that's enough." Tommy said firmly when he realized Ms. Scott would not say anything. "The biggest dinosaur nerd is leading this tour. And he says there is no naming calling allowed here or in class. These are some of the coolest creatures that ever walked the earth."

Tommy could see that Jackson still wasn't up to sharing his knowledge of the dinosaur. So Tommy stepped to the front of the group. "Alright, this here is a Brachiosaurus. It was an herbivore." Tommy pointed to the boy who made fun of Jackson. "What's your name?"

"Marcus." He said shyly.

"Marcus, can you guess what an herbivore is?"

"Um." He fidgeted.

"Okay, let's take the word apart. Have you ever heard of an "herb"?

"I think my mom uses it to cook?" Marcus answered.

"Right. Can you tell me what somes herb look like that she uses?" Tommy asked.

"Well, some look like that seeds. It reminds me of tiny bugs. Or sometimes they look like tiny plants."

"Great." Tommy smiled. "So the Brachiosaurus was an herbivore. Marcus can you guess what type of things it ate?"

Marcus thought for moment, "Maybe herbs? Plants?"

"Thats right Marcus. Excellent!" Tommy motioned for the rest of the class to give him a round of applause. "Did you know what an herbivore was before Marcus?"

"No sir." Marcus shook his head.

"Well now you know a cool fact about a dinosaur."

"Yeah, and it's that's a big word too."

"Does knowing this fact make you feel any different?"

"Um, no?"

"Knowing facts about something does make you different. And it doesn't mean you have less feelings than anyone else. These dinosaur facts or any other knowledge is made available not only to myself, but to each of you. So it's never okay to make something feel bad for something they've taken the time to learn." Tommy watched as Marcus's face changed. The boy looked over at Jackson seemingly apologetic, then looked at the ground. Jackson looked at Tommy and grinned.

Even knowing that the love of his life had this boy with someone else, in that moment Tommy felt drawn to protect him. He wanted to see Jackson grow and be happy. He wondered about the boy's father. Where he was? And did he feel like this about his son?

The tour went smoothly as the kids weren't afraid to ask questions or try to guess the answers. Marcus didn't tease Jackson anymore as he raised his hand to answer. It looked like Marcus was even asking Jackson some questions at the T-rex exhibit.

The tour ended in the cafeteria as the students ate their lunches. Tommy spotted Jackson at the end of a table, not talking to the other students but eating an apple and reading a book.

"Hey Jackson." Tommy walked over to him.

"Hey, Dr. Oliver." Jackson smiled up at him. "You wanna sit?"

Tommy sat down. "Call me Tommy please. What did you think of the tour?"

"I loved it! It's been awhile since I've gotten to go to a museum so it's nice seeing all the dinosaur bones again."

Tommy nodded. "I'm glad you got to come today."

"Are you always here?"

"Not always. I volunteer here Monday and Friday mornings. It actually relaxes me from my classes."

"That's so awesome. You have the best job ever." Jackson was in awe.

"Have you always been so interested in dinosaurs?"

"Yeah." Jackson bit into his apple. "My mom likes to tell me that it's in my blood."

"What about your dad?" Tommy asked carefully.

Jackson shrugged. "Anytime I ask she gets upset."

"Oh." _Interesting._

"So. How do you know my mom?" Jackson closed his book at stared into Tommy's soul. At least that's what it felt like to him.

"We, uh, went to highschool together." Tommy answered.

"Really?" Jackson looked thoughtful. "Did you like her or something?"

"What!" Tommy looked around him to see if anyone was paying attention.

Jackson broke into a childish giggle. Tommy felt like his face was on fire.

"I don't know if I can-"

"Oh come on. I watch movies. And I'm eleven. I can handle it. She won't tell me anything!" Jackson begged.

Tommy laughed a little. "Ask her again."

Jackson frowned and crossed his arms. "Grown ups."

"Sorry to disappoint." Tommy said.

"So are you going to ask her out?" Jackson raised his eyebrows.

"What? I can't-" Tommy stammered.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, it's not-"

"Well you're single, she's single. I can tell you guys have history. So what's stopping you?" Jackson bit his apple. "I can tell you that she doesn't get out much."

Tommy laughed in disbelief while his mind turned. _She's single. Where's the father? She's single!_

"Jackson I can't do that. High school was a long time ago." Tommy decided it was time to take his leave.

"But you can try." Jackson said. Before Tommy could answer yelled instructions for the students to clean and pack up their things.

Tommy watched as the class exited the cafeteria. He needed time alone.

* * *

Kimberly leaned against the handrail on the museum steps outside of the big building. A small sun shower had just passed overhead, but it did not dampen her mood. She was texting Aisha excitedly, misspelling words left and right. She had gotten the coaching job at the school. _Income!_ Though it wasn't amazing, it was a start and it was something. Something is always better than nothing.

She looked at the entrance to check if Jackson's class was coming out yet. She had asked permission to pick him up right after his trip, she wanted to go celebrate.

 _ **A** : _What's it like going back to Angel Grove HS?

 ** _K_** : so weird! I bet Principle Caplan never left his seat! Lol

 _ **A** :_ we have to celebrate tonight. I have something to tell you too!

 _ **K** :_ what is it?!

 _ **A** : _I'll tell you later, so impatient!

Before Kim could respond she heard Jackson's voice.

"Mom!" Jackson waved from the top of the steps.

She put her phone away and waved back. His teacher Ms. Scott spotted Kimberly and gave the nod of approval for Jackson to leave the group.

He came down the steps and gave her a hug. "Did you get the job?"

"Do you love dinosaurs?" Kimberly quipped.

"Duh!" Jackson playfully rolled his eyes.

"Well you are looking at Coach Hart of Angel Grove High School!" Kimberly said theatrically.

"Mom!" Jackson looked around at his classmates passing by, nervously.

"Oh, you are not embarrassed by me!" Kimberly said in disbelief.

"Kimberly?" Tommy's voice made her turn quickly. Causing her to miss a step, falling backwards.

"Mom-!"

Tommy reached out quick enough to put his arm around her back and pull her into his chest.

"Woah nice catch Dr. Oliver!" A boy from Jackson's class called out.

Kimberly looked up at her rescuer. She could feel his heart pounding and feel his breath on her forehead. _Oh my…_

"Tommy, um, thanks." She took a step back and held onto the handrail. She looked at Jackson who's mouth was hanging open in amazement.

"That...was...AWESOME!" Jackson smiled at Tommy.

"Still clumsy." Tommy teased.

"Still strong." Kimberly said. Then bit her tongue as she saw a familiar look in Tommy's eyes. _That was a compliment not a joke, dork._ She mentally kicked herself, even though she meant it.

Tommy cleared his thought. "Anyway, I, uh, wanted to know if-" She saw him look at Jackson. She turned to Jackson and he quickly looked at his feet. _What is going on with them?_

"Are you busy on Friday?" He continued.

"Why?" Kimberly asked. And immediately felt stupid.

"Well, there is this thing on Friday night. Maybe you'd want to come?" Tommy tucked his hands in his jeans.

Was he asking her out in front of her son! Kimberly felt a mixed of feelings and happy wasn't one of them. What had gotten into him?

"I'd have to think about that. Jackson let's go." Kimberly grabbed Jackson's hand.

"But Mom." Jackson started to protest.

Kimberly gave Tommy a perplexed look. And he looked shocked and then upset.

"What was that about, right?" Kimberly asked Jackson as they walked away. But Jackson was quiet. _No witty comment?_

"Hey, Jackson, what's the matter?" Kimberly stopped Jackson and turned him toward her. He wouldn't even look her in the eye.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Can we go home now?" Jackson lied. Kimberly waited for more but realized that was all she was getting. She looked back at the top of the steps, but Tommy was gone. What he was doing there in the first place and what was with Jackson's attitude? For the first time ever he seemed to be disappointed. Suddenly her good day took a turn for the worst.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Who's Your Daddy?**

"So what's his deal?" Aisha asked. She sat on the couch in Kimberly's apartment and pointed toward Jackson's closed door.

Kimberly came around with two glasses of water and passed one to Aisha. "He's been like that since we got home. He won't talk to me." Kimberly shook her head. "When I picked him up after his trip, at the museum, Tommy was there."

"Really? What was he doing there?" Aisha leaned in attentively.

"I honestly didn't think to even ask. I slipped and he caught me and then I complimented him. And then he asked me out this Friday-"

"Tommy Oliver asked you out? What did you say?" Aisha interrupted with a smile.

" _I'd have to think about it."_ Kimberly repeated her statement from earlier.

Aisha was silent for a moment.

"Not you too! What did I say?" Kim asked slightly annoyed.

"Don't you want to talk to him?" Aisha asked.

"Well," Kimberly thought, "Yes, but he was asking me out in front Jackson!"

"I think that shows confidence." Aisha took a small sip of water. "I am always rooting for you guys. So consider me partial to the romance that was."

"He didn't even want me here!"

"Yet, he asks you out. I wonder what his game play is." Aisha looked thoughtful.

"Me too. It was out of nowhere." Kimberly shook her head and stared at Jackson's door. "I wish I knew what he was thinking too."

"He's getting to the age where maybe he needs a male figure."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that." Kimberly said. "And when did you start offering motherly advice?"

Aisha shrugged. "I don't know maybe it comes with the territory."

Kimberly gave a confused look. "What do you mean? You don't have any kids-" Aisha down at her own stomach.

Kimberly gasped, "Shut up! Who's the daddy?"

Aisha hit her arm playfully. "Shh. Zack doesn't know yet!"

"Aw. Congratulations Aisha." Kimberly hugged her friend tightly.

"Thank you, I'm so excited." Aisha rubbed her flat abdomen. "What's it like? Being all pregnant? I've delivered puppies and kittens. But I'm so nervous and so happy. Do you think Zack will be excited? It's been 2 years, and we always talked about getting married and we both want kids. But we never discussed if we happened to have a baby of our own." Aisha gushed.

Kimberly fought the pang of jealousy she felt. She never experienced sharing that moment with anyone. She never shared the experience of being pregnant with anyone either. Her aunt and uncle's support was different. She remembered the tears at the beginning. She remembered being scared and angry. She often drove by clinics but could never walk in. But she was certain of one thing. She was glad she pushed through.

"Hey, are you alright?" Aisha's hand was touching her arm. Kimberly realized her face was wet with tears.

"I'm just so happy for you. There's nothing like being a mother." Her voice was shaky but her words were true.

Aisha continued to talk about creative ways she could tell Zack about the pregnancy. And Kimberly listened and imagined what it might have been like to be in her shoes.

* * *

Jackson listened as his mother discussed her day with her friend Aisha. Aisha was going to have a baby. Zack was definitely going to be so excited. And that baby was going to have a family. A mom and a dad.

Jackson lay on his bed with his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

He closed his eyes tight and imagined what his dad might look like. His mom told him that he had his dark hair and brown eyes once. And when he was really little he had seen him. But Jackson could not remember him. His mother would tell him nothing else.

Jackson rolled off of his bed and went on to the new computer his great aunt and uncle sent him. He looked up Angel Grove High School and his mother's name. Pictures of her as a cheerleader popped up. One picture of her in a school play as a princess. Then he looked up Tommy Oliver. Football star, martial arts class teacher, defense class.

Jackson stared at his picture. He zoomed in and looked studied his face. Did he look like him? Jackson liked him. He seemed like a great guy, so wouldn't his mom tell him if that was his father? Dr. Oliver was nice to him. He liked dinosaurs. But he was always nervous when talking to his mother. What happened between them?

Jackson continued to move through the pictures. He spotted a group picture. He saw Tommy with his arm around another guy wearing red. He recognized Zack and his mother. Then an Asian girl with long black hair and a guy wearing glasses. His mom looked so happy among her friends. Jackson only hoped he'd stay somewhere long enough to make friends like hers.

A knock at the door made him quickly close out of the screens he opened.

"Hey champ." His mother opened the door slowly. "Do you want to talk now?"

Jackson shrugged.

"What happened to you today? What was Tommy doing at the museum?" Kimberly sat on his bed as he sat in his computer chair.

"He works there. Well volunteers there on Mondays and Fridays. He led our tour." Jackson answered.

"Oh." Kimberly looked impressed. "Did he know as much about dinosaurs as you?"

"Yes Mom. He's going to be a paleontologist. And he stood up to Marcus."

"That boy who is always teasing you?" She asked.

"Yes. Then Marcus was even nice to me after that. Tommy is awesome Mom and I told him to ask you out-"

"Wait, you what?"

Jackson continued, "Then he saved you from falling, and then you said no!"

His mother stared at him. He couldn't tell if she was upset.

"Why would you tell him to do that Jackson? What's gotten into you? Why was he even talking to you?" She stood up. She was definitely upset.

"Well why can't he ask you out? He's cool. He's my friend!"

"You've only met him twice Jackson."

"He's still my friend. And he likes you."

"Did he say that?" She shook her head. "Jackson you can't just tell people to ask me out on dates. You can't get involved like that. Grown ups are...complicated. Yes Tommy and I have history but it's been a very long time. He could have a girlfriend or wife."

"He said he was single!"

"Jackson that doesn't mean he is."

"Why would he lie?"

His mother opened her mother and closed it.

"Why don't you ever tell me about my father!" Jackson never raised his voice to his mother before. He didn't like it. He wanted to say sorry and hug her. But he was too angry and sad to move.

His mother slumped down onto his bed.

"I can't Jackson. He was...it's just that…" She began to cry.

"So I'll never have a dad!" Jackson cried. "And it's all your fault!"

He quickly ran out of the room before she could grab him. He ran the bathroom and locked the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - The Apology**

It was quiet in the Hart home for the next few days. Kimberly got dressed and ready for work or school and Jackson did the same. They kept to their daily routine. No one talked more than they had do. And their conversations ended with "fine". Jackson would stay in his room after finishing his homework, and he would just read his books. Kimberly would, after failing to get Jackson to talk to her, busy herself with schoolwork, or watching gymnasts routines, or cheerleader videos. Principle Caplan placed her as coach for both.

She loved teaching the girls all she knew. Helping them reach their potential. They would ask her the same questions she did when she was their age. One girl, Jessie, was dealing with her parents divorce. Kim knew those feelings all too well. Jessie confided in Kimberly freely, and said she always felt better after they spoke. Kimberly remembered how she felt about her own parents divorce. She felt they were selfish. They didn't care about her. She'd blame her mom, or her dad, depending on the day.

Now she sat on the couch with her laptop looking towards her son's room. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. She could not imagine what it was like growing up without knowing who her father was. That there was someone out there who didn't want her. Jackson didn't know that part but she remembered that day.

 ** _9 years ago…_**

 _Kimberly's aunt Lisa stood in the kitchen holding Jackson. He babbled happily to the woman._

" _Goodmorning." Kimberly said groggily as she walked into the kitchen. "I would have heard Jackson. You didn't have to take him out of his crib."_

 _20 year old Kimberly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and held her hands out for her son._

" _No. I told you he's no burden or issue. I love this little boy." Her aunt nuzzled Jackson with her nose and he giggled. He was going to be two years old in a few weeks. After Kimberly came home from work she stayed up party planning._

" _You work too hard Kim, it's okay to sleep in and let us help sometimes." Lisa said to her._

" _You already help, a lot." Kimberly found a mug and started making herself some coffee. "What time is it?"_

" _9 o'clock." Her aunt answered in between tickling Jackson._

" _9! Why did you let me sleep in?"_

" _Because it's Saturday Kimberly. And you know what? I think me and this little guy are going to hang out all day, while you find something else other than work to do." Lisa walked over to Kimberly. "Say bye bye to Mommy Jackson. Bye bye._

 _He grabbed her face and gave her a giant wet kiss and said "bye bye" Kimberly kissed him back and squeezed him._

" _Bye bye baby." Kimberly smiled at him and frowned at her aunt. "It's not necessary."_

" _Oh, but it's happening!" Her aunt sang as she took Jackson to the living room. Kimberly waited for her coffee to brew. Thinking it might be a good idea to go look for a cake today. And maybe get Jackson's gift. The mall! She almost squealed with excitement. She loved shopping._

 _An hour later she was on her way to the mall. She borrowed her uncle's car and basked in the AC. After she fought for parking and strolled into the mall. She inhaled the smell of pretzels and someone who needed a shower. She loved it! She walked through a few stores taking her time._

 _She had successfully found a gift, a cute rubbery dinosaur set, a few news books, and some outfits for herself as well as Jackson. She was satisfied and ready to head home when she spotting_ his _face on a life size poster board._

 _She could hear the blood rushing through her body. Her heart beat a little faster. His cardboard eyes watched her over the crowd of busy shoppers. She walked through the blur of people and stood in front of a blue clothed table. Two ladies were exchanging words when they spotted Kimberly standing in front of them._

 _One stood up and put on a bright smile. "Hi ma'am would you be interested to learning how you can help the children of Africa get clean drinking water?"_

" _No..." Kimberly answered absently._

" _Oh. I assure you it's a great cause-" the ladies exchanged a strange look._

 _Kimberly snapped out of her shock. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I know that is a great cause. It's just that I know," she pointed to the cardboard man, "This guy. I thought he might be here."_

" _Oh he is. He just went on a break. You can speak with him when he returns. Oh!" The woman looked around her. "Speak of the devil. Jason!" She waved and pointed excitedly to Kimberly._

 _Kimberly turned and felt her chest tighten. Jason…_

 _He stopped in walking and the smile on his face froze. "Kimberly?"_

 _She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Jason continued his walk towards the table. "Kimberly Hart." She watched as he smiled and handed the two ladies drinks._

 _Then he turned to her._

" _Never thought I'd see you again." Jason crossed his still very muscular arms across his chest._

" _Well neither did I." She couldn't believe she was still talking to him. But her feet wouldn't budge. Then all of a sudden she felt her mouth open up and words come out. "Would you like to see a picture?"_

 _Jason's face went pale. Then red. The smile disappeared off of his face and was replaced with a twitchy frown._

" _Of what?"_

" _Um, well-" Her eyes shifted to the ladies who were watching their interaction._

" _I don't think there is anything I need to see. I'm a little busy here today. It was...nice...seeing you Kimberly but I have work to do." Jason turned his back to her._

" _Aren't you a little curious? It's almost been two years. Have you ever thought about us?" Kimberly's eyes burned._

 _Jason whipped around and grabbed her arm._

" _Ow!"_

 _He pushed through people and found a small secluded area._

" _What the hell are you doing here! Isn't there an unspoken 'I don't want to see you, you don't want to see me' in place anywhere?" Jason seethed._

" _I live here! I was shopping for my son! I just happened to be here the same time as you! Aren't you curious to see him?! It's not like he happened all by himself Jason!" Kimberly quiet yelled._

" _No. No!" Jason shook his head furiously. "I told you to take care of that thing. I want no part of it. Why are you trying to ruin my life?" Jason waved his hands widely._

" _Ruin your life!" Kimberly could not believe him. She was raising a child by herself with some help from her uncle and aunt. And he thought she was ruining his life!_

" _I didn't want any part of this. You will not put this one me."_

" _I don't know what I expected from you. I just couldn't do it Jason. He's beautiful. And he looks just like you." She felt herself shaking from the mix of emotions. "God, Jason, you've changed! We were once on the same team. And I don't want to think about that night. That wasn't you. I-" She took in a shaky breath. "He_ does _exist. And what if he asks questions. I just don't know what to do!"_

 _Jason glared at her. "That's_ your _problem." He stepped toward her. Her back was pressed against the cold wall. "Whatever you think happened that night was because you wanted it to happen. Whatever you decided after that night, is on you. I want_ nothing _to do with that kid. Don't you ever tell him anything about me!"_

 _For the second time in her life she felt helpless._

 _Jason punched the wall inches away from her face. Kimberly squealed and dropped into a crouch._

" _Just stay away from me Kimberly!" She heard Jason stomp off._

 _She stayed there and cried. She wasn't sure for how long. She thought she heard someone ask if she was okay but she wasn't sure._

 _She remembered going home and snuggling up with Jackson for the rest of the night. She held him tight knowing that no one would ever love him as much as she did. A few days later after the mall incident she was playing outside in front of the house with Jackson. She was amazed at how this little human being grew so fast. She remembered him crawling around and wishing he could walk, now he was walking and she wished he would be still. He was playing with his toys in the grass when a shadow appeared on the grass close to him._

 _Kimberly shaded her eyes from the sun looking up at the figure._

" _Hi, can I help you?"_

 _The man stood silent. So Kimberly scoped up Jackson and stood up starting to walk up away. When she was finally leveled to see the man she realized it was Jason. She held Jackson closer to her chest and stepped back._

 _Jackson saw the stranger and waved. "Hi!"_

 _Jason lifted his hand slightly. He shook his head._

 _He looked at Kimberly. "You shouldn't have kept it Kimberly."_

" _Don't you want to know his name?" Kimberly gulped._

" _No!" He raised his voice._

" _Then why are YOU here?" Kimberly yelled back,_

" _I-I don't know. Good bye Kimberly." Jason looked at Jackson one more time and then walked away..._

"Mom are you okay?" Jackson's voice was starting to crack. He cleared his throat. "Mom!"

"Yes! Honey, sorry. I was just thinking." Kimberly got off of the couch and sat her laptop down. Jackson looked ready for school.

"I'm ready to go." Jackson slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Right, let me get my shoes on." Kimberly wanted to kiss the solemn look off of her son's face.

"Hey, so I was thinking of stopping by the museum before I head to campus and apologizing to Tommy."

Jackson perked up. "Really?"

"Yeah I have some time. He and I were really good friends. And I'm glad you like him. And that he likes you. If it means that much to you, I will apologize." Kimberly grinned.

"He did save your life after all!" Jackson smiled and threw his arms around her waist. She hugged him back.

After dropping Jackson off at school she headed to the museum. She asked one of the staff members at customer service if Tommy was working.

"Sorry Mr. Oliver isn't in today. He said he had an important class to teach today at his school." The young woman answered.

"His school?"

"Yeah he owns a martial arts school, it's not too far from here." The woman smiled and walked away to help another customer.

Going to school, volunteering at a museum, and running a martial arts school. _What isn't he doing!_ Kim thought to herself. Yet it all seemed just like something Tommy would do. Help and teach others in any way he could, and that made her smile.

She used her phone to look up the address and decided it was within walking found herself standing in front of the Sunrise Martial Arts school. A small group of women walked in together. She followed them inside and saw that there were women everywhere in gym clothing.

 _What is going on in here?_ The crazy thought that all of these woman only came to see Tommy entered her mind. She noticed a bulletin board to the left and a blue sign reading " _Women's Self Defense Class"._ The date was today, Friday. She immediately felt foolish for being jealous.

"Goodmorning ladies!" His voice hushed the crowd of excited women. "Thank you all for coming this morning. Because of such a wonderful turnout we are going to separate into 3 rooms. Myself, Rocky, and Justin will be your instructors. As you signed in you were all given a number, 1 through 3. Please, once you settle in and change, proceed to the room marked with your number. We'll see you ladies in there, thank you for coming."

Kimberly spotted one woman pretending to fan herself and whispering something into her friend's ear.

"Kimberly. What a surprise." Kimberly cringed. She didn't know many Australians but she could have done without this one around.

"Hi Kat." She turned to see Kat dressed in a black martial arts uniform with a black belt wrapped around her waist.

"I see you found the school. I'm surprised it took you this long." Kat crossed her arms and grinned.

Kimberly bit her tongue sorting through her adult name-calling vocabulary. But she figured it was no time to start a scene. "So are you two dating?"

Kat's face flushed with color. "W-Why does it matter to you?"

"Well he asked me out tonight and I just wanted to give him an answer."

Before Kat could answer Tommy appeared.

"Um, hi. Kim what are you doing here?" He looked between the ladies. "I hope we're all playing nice today."

"Yeah Kimberly was just leaving." Kat lied.

"Tommy I need to talk to you." Kimberly ignored her.

Tommy looked around. "I'm a little busy right now."

"I know. I didn't know you had all of this going on."

"Yeah right. You probably didn't care." Kat tried to interject.

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "It's important. May I wait for you?"

Tommy sighed. "Want to sit in on a class?"

Kimberly checked her watch. "Sure, I can do that."

Tommy put his hand on the small of her back and led her into one of the rooms.

She stood in the back of the class and watched as Tommy taught the women. They watched and listened attentively as he demonstrated the moves and explained them. Kimberly marveled at his skill. His body was nothing less of perfect but his voice and his passion captivated her. He always took the time and patience to teach the women a certain defensive move until they got it down correctly.

"Kimberly?" Tommy's voice interrupted her thoughts. All of the faces in the room were looking at her. "Would you be kind enough to assist me for this next one?"

"Sure." She said involuntarily. She started moving to the front, and if looks could kill she would be 6 feet under, three times over.

"This is very old... friend of mine, Kimberly, who will help me with this next demonstration. Kimberly if you would please join me down here." Tommy patted the ground next to him.

Kimberly knelt down beside him.

"I'm going to demonstrate what you can do in the situation if you are pinned down." Tommy turned to Kimberly and grinned. Her heart fluttered. "Could you lie on your back? For the sake of the exercise."

She looked at Tommy skeptically and he looked like he was holding back laugh. He raised his eyebrows with mock impatience.

She sighed and lay back on the mat. She rested her arms on her stomach and stared at the light on the ceiling, reminded oddly of being in a GYN's office. A few seconds later Tommy's face was in her view and his legs were wrapped around her hips, straddling her. She saw Tommy's mouth moving, explaining something to the class but all she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. Then his face came close to hers. As he leaned over with his hands on the ground on either side of her head.

"Sorry, this is a pretty prized position in this class. Didn't want these ladies getting unruly." He whispered only for her to hear. He smirked.

"You know I didn't sign up for this. All I wanted to do was talk." Kimberly whispered back.

"After all this time? You have to work for it." Tommy winked and leaned back on his heels.

"If you ever find yourself in this position with your attacker, it can be a very scary situation. But it is not impossible to escape. Say if he places his hands around your neck like this." Tommy's warm hands gently touched Kimberly's neck. She felt his thumb slowly rub the base of her neck. Her eyes meet his. While he had a serious tone and spoke to the women in the class, she saw in his eyes that they were still connected. He still cared for her. She knew she still cared for him.

He took her hands and placed them on his wrist trying to teach the class how break the hold.

She closed her eyes as Tommy talked to the class and imagined what it might be like to be with him...alone. Him loving her in the way he never got to. He would lean over her whispering how he loved her, and would never let her leave again. He would kiss her neck and down her chest. But when his face came back up all she saw was Jason's face. She gasped. Her heart raced. She squeezed his wrists. But his grip around her neck got tighter.

" _Just be still! Relax!"_

"No!" Kimberly shouted.

" _Shut up Kim before someone hears you!" Jason fumbled at his pants and pulled up her skirt. She tried to move her legs but they felt like jelly. Everything was foggy. The room was dark._

" _Come on Kim! Stop being difficult. You said you wanted to do this!" Jason had one hand on her throat and used the other separate her legs. She was gasped for air. And then came the pain._

"No Jason! Stop it!"

"Kim! Kimberly!" Tommy's voice sounded far away. She thrashed and kneed him in the balls.

"Get OFF!" Kimberly's upper cut hit Tommy's chin perfectly knocking him backwards. Some of the women in the room screamed "Oh my god!"

Kat ran into the room at the sound of the commotion, "What the hell Kimberly!" She knelt beside Tommy who held his chin, still stunned.

Kimberly stood slowly and realized where she was and what she did. Her hand throbbed with pain.

"Tommy, I'm...so sorry…" Kimberly reached out for his arm. Kat squatted her hand away.

"You need to leave now Kimberly. Good bye!" Kat positioned herself between Tommy and Kim.

Hot angry tears fell as she half ran out of the building. She wiped her face walking quickly down the street. She stopped at the corner and tried to hail a taxi but she couldn't see through her tears.

"Kimberly, wait!" A voice shouted after her. A taxi started pulling over.

She turned toward the blurry tall figure. Tommy had run after her.

"No, Tommy. I'm sorry I hurt you." She took a step back from him. "I'm sorry I keep hurting you!" Her whole body began to shake as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"Oh Kim." Tommy's arms wrapped around her body and he pulled her into his chest. She was still able to to tuck her head under his chin. In his arms she felt safe. It felt right. He felt like home and she never wanted to let go.


	8. Chapter 8 (Part 1)

**Chapter 8- Blackout (Part 1)**

Kimberly sat wrapped in a blanket on the firm grey couch. She looked around the neat apartment. Tournament belts and pictures decorated the walls.

"I can hardly believe this home belongs to a member of the male species."

"Why because it's so clean?" Tommy was pouring hot water in two mugs in the kitchen.

After her meltdown outside of his school Kimberly followed Tommy to his jeep and then he brought her to his home. Now he was making tea and Kimberly was trying to prepare herself for saying the truth out loud.

"Not that it's impossible but... yes. It's impossible." Kimberly teased.

"So you have a reference of men and their apartments?" Tommy asked.

Kimberly scoffed. "More like I've gone on a few dates and asked the guy if I could use his bathroom so I could call Jackson before he went to sleep. Nothing more."

Tommy laughed. "Well don't be too impressed. I usually clean every so often but I'm not here much. So it stays this way. You should see the bedroom. That's where the action is."

Tommy immediately stopped in his tracks. And his eyes widened. "I didn't mean it that way."

Kimberly bit her lip trying not to smile.

"No seriously Kim, I'm just meant a lot goes on in there as opposed to out here because that's where I sleep. It's a mess-" Tommy rambled on nervously. He put down the two mugs on the coffee table.

"Tommy, stop. It's okay." Kimberly chuckled. "I'm not afraid of bedrooms. Or you."

Tommy sat on the other end of the couch. He leaned his elbows over his knees and faced her. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know what happened back there. I'm so sorry for ruining your class." Kimberly apologized.

"Don't worry about it. You're what matters to me Kim. You always have." He watched her.

She grabbed one of the mugs and focused on its warmth. She could not cry again. She didn't think she had anything left in her. Her eyes were puffy and her head hurt still.

"So." Tommy stared at something on the floor as he spoke. "Jackson was-?"

"Not planned." Kimberly shook her head slowly, still focusing on her cup. "That night is a bit of a blur honestly. I remember how it started, but not how it ended. But I put it together when my body started to change.

"And...Jason?" Kimberly looked up to see Tommy opening and clenching his fist. The muscles in his jaw tightening.

"Tommy…"

"Was it Jason?" Tommy asked again. He looked her in the eyes.

"He wasn't himself." Kimberly answered. Tommy got off the couch and paced angrily. "I mean maybe it wasn't all his fault! We were all wasted."

"Did you tell him no?" Tommy stopped pacing and faced her.

"Yes, but-"

"There are no "buts" Kim. He was wrong! How could he do that?" Tommy continued to pace.

"He didn't mean it."

Tommy looked at her. "Kimberly, you don't believe that."

Kimberly looked down at her cup. A teardrop fell into it. She was crying again.

Tommy sat down by her feet and put his hand on her knee. "Kimberly, it was not your fault. He chose to do what he wanted. It is _not_ your fault."

Kimberly felt her chest tighten. "I don't know what happened. It was the day I fell at the Pan Globals. Everyone was trying to cheer me up. You know he came to see every one of my routines?"

Tommy stayed silent.

"He showed up everyday. He was the only familiar face besides my mom and her husband. He brought me flowers on the last day. I didn't think it was strange. We were friends for a long time. I was just so devastated that night after losing. I tried to call you but it went to voicemail. He was only trying to cheer me up."

Tommy placed his hand over hers.

"Someone had snuck in beer to the hotel rooms. Jason came over. I drank some beer knowing I shouldn't. I was also on a pain killer for my ankle. So the mix was probably what made me loopy. I vaguely remember talking to Jason. Then we were in a dark room. And he was trying-" Kimberly swallowed. "Do you know what it's like to defeat so many monsters in your life and then come across one that you can't get off of you? I was too weak. I should have been stronger. I should have been able to fight him off. So it wasn't all his fault. I blame me for failing myself."

"No, Kim. You should never had have to fight him off. He was a leader, a teammate, and a friend. That shouldn't have happened. Does Jackson know anything?"

"No. What do I even tell him? He wants to know who his father is." Kimberly cried. "Jason was so much more than that night. Yet that's who he's become to me now."

Tommy looked thoughtful. "Why didn't you tell me? All this time I thought you found someone else. Why did you send that letter?"

"I didn't know what else to do. When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what to tell you. Jason was your friend too. Would you have believed he would do such a thing? I didn't know how I was going to deal with it myself. I thought letting you go would be best."

"It wasn't Kim!" Tommy got up and started pacing around again. "I would have came to you! I would have been there. It broke my heart thinking I would never see you again!"

"It probably would have changed you! I know it changed me." Kimberly stood too. "You don't know what you would have done!"

"You didn't even give me the chance!" Tommy threw his hands in the air.

Kim knew he was right. "I was scared, ashamed, and broken! I didn't want you to see me like that. I didn't want you to know what I let happen. I didn't want you to know what Jason did. It broke my heart to write that letter! I never stopped loving you for a second."

Tommy quit pacing. "I never stopped loving you either."

Even with clothes on she felt naked and exposed. She had told him the truth and he didn't run away. He didn't hate her. He loved her.

Tommy walked around the coffee table and came within inches of her body. He tucked her brown hair behind her ear. He held her face gently and kissed her forehead. She let out a shaky breath.

Tommy lips carefully brushed hers as if asking for permission. She never thought she would get this chance again. She never thought she'd have the chance to make things right. Now she did. She lifted her arms arms his neck and she pressed her lips into his.

She thought kissing him when they were teenagers was amazing. Many years passed in between and she was now kissing a man; and it was so much better. He pulled her waist closer to him. She pulled away just long enough to catch her breathe.

"I've missed you so much Kimberly." Tommy said breathlessly. He searched her eyes. She felt as if he could see into her soul. There was so much time missed between them. And it was time to make up for it.

Her eyes looked around him towards the hallway that led to his bedroom. He turned towards the hallway then back to her.

"I guess I'd like to see where that action happens." Kimberly smiled mischievously.

"You're sure?" Tommy asked.

Kimberly tiptoed to kiss him, then took both his hands and led him down the hall.

"I should be in class right now." Kimberly said as she lay on Tommy's chest. She ran her fingers along his arm. He shivered.

"I promise not to stop you if you want to leave," Tommy kissed the top of her head, "As long as you promise to come back."

Kimberly smiled. "I should be home when Jackson gets there." She sat up started to get dressed.

"He's a great kid you know. You did a good job Kim." Tommy propped himself up on his elbow.

"Thank you. Even though it doesn't always feel like it."

"So he's always loved dinosaurs?" Tommy asked.

"Well I couldn't let that part of me go. I think most of my best years were when I was a ranger." Kimberly smiled. "I did try trucks and superheroes and all that, in my defense. But he stuck with that Stegosaurus."

Kimberly looked at him seriously. "He really likes you Tommy. What are we doing here?"

"I'm not going anywhere Kim. I'm here for you." Tommy sat up.

"Okay." Kimberly thought for a moment. "What about Kat?"

Tommy shook his head. "That's been over for a long time. It's just taking her awhile to get that through her head. Can't say it was all her fault. I guess my heart always belonged to someone else."

Kimberly nodded.

"We don't have to rush into anything. But I'd love for you to think about it." Tommy held her hand. "Listen, Rocky is putting this party together tonight down at the beach. I'd love for you to come. I want to get in as much time with you as I can."

Kimberly thought about Jackson. "I'll see. I'll try my best."

"Let me give you a ride home." Tommy offered.

As soon as she got home she called Aisha. She recapped her morning, leaving out the details of their love making of course. There were a lot of "I told you so's" and squeals of excitement, from both women.

"Do you want me to watch Jackson? You have to go to that party!" Aisha said.

"I don't know. How would Jackson feel?"

"Didn't he try to set you up?"

"Well, yes. But what if it doesn't work out?"

"Why wouldn't it work?"

She didn't have a good answer. Tommy knew her past? _Check_. They both loved each other? _Check_. Jackson liked him? _Check._

She heard him coming through door.

"Mom?"

"Okay, okay, I'll let you. Talk to you later." She finished her conversation with Aisha. "Hey hon, I'm in here."

Kimberly stood in front of her closet looking through her clothes.

"Well? How'd it go?" Jackson stood in her bedroom door.

"We talked."

"And? Does he still like you?"

She laughed. "Jackson! When did you become Cupid?"

He shrugged. "It's been you and me Mom. Forever. And I love you and everything. It's just…"

Kimberly went to her son and knelt in front him. "I know Jackson. Believe me, I wish things were different. I want a partner, you want a family. I know it's hard for you. We will have that someday, I promise. But you know that things...families...don't happen over night right?"

"I know Mom. But we have to start somewhere right?" Jackson searched her eyes.

"Yes." Kimberly rubbed his arms. Standing in front of her was a little boy turning into a little man, and she couldn't be more proud. He always handled things so well. "So if I went out with Tommy, you'd be okay with that?"

Jackson smiled. "I knew it!"

Kimberly stood and laughed. "Jackson, it's been years, and I don't know how this will work. It's been awhile since I dated anyone. I don't want to get your hopes up."

Jackson shook his head. "He loves dinosaurs, and he's a doctor, you won't find anyone like that Mommy!"

Jackson walked off.

Kimberly smiled to herself knowing Jackson was right, just not for those reasons.

"Jackson!" She called.

"Yeah Mommy." He yelled back.

"Um, there is a get together thing tonight that Tommy invited me to. Do you mind hanging out with Aisha and Zack?"

"No problemo!"

Kimberly chuckled then turned back to her closet and sighed. Now began the task of finding something to wear.

A couple hours later and a few dozen outfits later Kimberly stood at the door waiting for Jackson who was packing his backpack with his favorite books and games.

Jackson was walking towards her when he passed by her room.

"Mommy, your room is a mess. Maybe you shouldn't go out tonight." Jackson teased. "You make me clean my room! When I go on dates do I need have to clean my room?"

"Very funny smartypants. Funny thing is you'll never go on any dates!" Kimberly tussled his hair. "Let's go."

They were heading to Aisha's house in a cab when Kimberly felt Jackson was strangely quiet.

"Are you okay bud? What's the matter?"

"What was my dad like?" Jackson asked timidly.

Kimberly didn't realize she was holding her breath until she heard Jackson whisper, "Forget it."

"He was...a really good friend." Kimberly started. Her palms became clammy. She wanted to stick to the truth, without telling what Jason had done.

"He loved helping others."

"Really? So what happened?"

"He, um, he lost his way a little bit."

"Is he in jail or something?" Jackson sounded alarmed.

"No, no. Last I heard he was in Africa, but that was years ago."

"What's his name?"

"It's...it's Jason." Her heart raced.

"Does he know about me?"

Kimberly knew no matter how she answered the same questions would follow. _Why?_

"Jackson, he wasn't ready for a family."

"He didn't want me?"

"He didn't know what to do. I know it's just been me and you, buddy, but I think we've been a great team. And I want us to have a great family so I didn't just want to let anyone in. Do you understand? I love you and I want the best for you."

Jackson nodded slowly. Then he smiled, "And I want the best for you too Mommy."

She began reaching for him when her world immediately turned upside down. She wasn't sure if the blaring horn or hit came first but she felt herself going backwards and hitting her back against the car door. Jackson's hand reached out her her. Her head hit the glass window hard and her world went dark.


	9. Chapter 8 (Part 2)

**Chapter 8 - (Part 2)**

"Happy Birthday man!" Rocky threw his hands in the air as Tommy arrived to his beach party. There were the older students from his dojo, some people from the museum, but no Kimberly. He hoped she wasn't having second thoughts. Maybe he should have told her it was his birthday.

"Hey handsome!" Tommy spun around. It was Kat. She threw her arms around him.

"Happy Birthday! Pretty crazy morning, huh? You never came back to the school. What happened to you?" She wore a white halter top and short green shorts.

"Yeah. I, uh, wanted to make sure Kimberly got home alright." Tommy looked for anyone else to have a conversation with.

"Are you looking for someone? You didn't invite her did you?" Kat shook her head. "Just a few days ago you hated her!"

"No, you hate her Katherine. I love Kimberly. I've always loved her. I'm sorry Kat." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to give her another shot and see where it goes."

"Tommy, smile for the camera!" A photographer held up a camera. "Is that your girlfriend? Smile sweetheart!"

Kat without hesitation grabbed him around the waist. And smiled.

"That was great! Wait one more!" The guy shouted.

Kat quickly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.

"Jesus, Kat!" Tommy pulled her off.

"Now I am done with you Tommy Oliver." Kat stormed off and didn't look back.

"Uh, Happy Birthday?" said the photographer.

Tommy went off to find Rocky.

"Rocky, thank you for the party. But why was Kat invited?" Tommy found him by the water teaching some ladies about surfing waves.

"I thought you guys were cool!" Rocky said.

"Yeah well you thought wrong." The ladies looked between the two men and decided to leave them alone.

"Look these invites went out before Kimberly showed up. So naturally Kat already knew about it. You guys were a thing once, you know." Rocky grinned.

"Yeah. I know. Sorry, man." Tommy looked around. "I just wish Kimberly were here." He checked his pockets for his phone. They were empty.

"Have you seen my phone lying around?" Tommy asked Rocky.

Rocky shook his head. "Hey look! Jason showed!"

Tommy looked towards the shack and there he was. Leaning against the bar counter trying to get the attention of the bartender. Kat spotted Jason and seemed to be introducing herself.

"No." Tommy seethed.

"Hey, what's up?" Rocky sensed his tension.

"Find my phone, will you? I have to go do something." Tommy slapped Rocky's shoulder.

"Why do you look ready for a fight? It's your birthday man!"

Tommy beelined for Jason ignoring Rocky's inquiry. He couldn't see or hear anything but the blood rushing through his body and his breathing.

Kat giggled at something Jason said making Tommy's blood boil even more.

Jason saw Tommy coming toward him. "Happy Birthd-"

Tommy's fist in his face knocked Jason right onto the floor. Tommy haven't ever intentionally fought anyone outside of a match before. What he taught and what he learned was only ever to be used for defense. But this was well deserved.

"Oh my god Tommy what are you doing?" Kat yelled.

Jason spat blood onto the floor and held his chin. "What the hell?"

"Don't piss me off further. I know what you did!" Tommy took one step back. He wanted him to get up.

"I guess it was only a matter of time. Whatever she told you was a lie." Jason stood up and brushed the sand off of him. He still had muscle, and with a little extra weight, made him wider than Tommy. But Tommy was faster and more disciplined than Jason ever was.

"How could you do that? This is Kimberly we are talking about."

"I was there for her. You weren't! You've taken everything from me, as if you were better!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tommy expected excuses but not this.

"First my team, then Kim. She would have been with me if not for you."

Tommy knew very well they could never reveal that they had been power rangers. And he had to catch himself before he let something slip out.

"You _chose_ me to lead the team! And Kim chose me to love."

"You should have stayed away Tommy." Jason spat again. "But you just couldn't help yourself. Like she couldn't help putting her hands all over me."

Tommy grabbed Jason's shirt at the shoulders and threw him into the sand in the middle of the crowd that had gathered. Jason kicked one of Tommy's legs from under him. He hit the sand so hard that the air left his lungs. He started get up when Jason scrambled on top and hit him square in the jaw. Tommy ignored the stars he saw and maneuvered out from under Jason.

"Guys c'mon! Knock it off!" Rocky pushed through the crowd and tried to break them up.

Cameras snapped and people murmured.

 _Should we call the cops?_

 _Tommy's fighting over a girl?_

 _Let them duke it out. Tommy's going to win anyway._

Sand flew around as the men fought. Tommy drowned out everything and everyone focusing on the man who swung another heavy fist into his side. The man who he used to consider as a brother. The man he used to trust and care about. All he wanted to do now was make him feel all the hurt and pain and hate he felt.

Now he grabbed Jason's neck and pulled his fist back. Jason's face covered in blood mixed with sand which Tommy felt was probably similar to his own face. His breathing was heavy. All he could think of was ending him. But he looked around him and saw the faces of his students. They stared at him. Some looked amused, others looked worried, and Rocky, he looked disappointed. He mouthed "No"

"Wait." Jason said breathlessly. He raised his hands. "Just wait."

"What?" how would it look if he punched again surrendering man. No one knew what happened so many years ago, but what would his students think of him now.

"I'm...I'm sorry." Jason gulped. "I was...wrong. I was so wrong." His hands dropped to his side helplessly. "I deserve this. So go ahead."

Tommy felt conflicted. His grip on Jason's shirt started to loosen against his better judgement. Just then a break in the crowd grabbed his attention.

"EXCUSE ME, MOVE IT! TOMMY?" Aisha Campbell pushed through. Tears had ruined her makeup.

"Aisha?"

"What is going on here? What are you doing?" Aisha looked between the two bloodied men.

Tommy let go of Jason who took a couple steps away from him. And tried to fix his clothing.

"I've been trying to call you!" Aisha yelled at him. But the anger in her face disappeared and was replaced with tears.

"What? What's wrong?" Tommy felt his heart fall though he didn't know why. Why is Aisha alone?

"Its...it's Kimberly." Aisha body shook with her cry. "And Jackson."

Tommy noticed Jason's head snapped up at the sound of their names.

"There was an accident…" Tommy turned back to Aisha. _An accident?!_ Tommy immediately pushed through the crowd and sprinted to his Jeep.

He just got her back. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't _them_.

* * *

Tommy had made it to the nearest emergency room. He ran to the receptionist desk.

The woman receptionist looked up from the computer screen. And made a disgusted face at him. "I'm sorry sir, do you do need to check in?"

"Did a woman and a young come in here? Kimberly and Jackson Hart?"

"Are you a family member sir?"

"I,uh-" Tommy stammered.

"I'm the father." Jason's voice startled him. He turned to see Jason, Aisha, Zack, Kat and Rocky all standing behind him.

"Oh my god, are you men alright? Maybe you should check in." The receptionist looked at the men making Tommy feel self-conscious about the pain in his jaw and over his eye.

"We're fine. What happened to my...my son." All eyes were on Jason. Tommy felt bad for them, especially Aisha just finding this out now. Tommy had gotten over his shock and awe, thankfully.

The receptionist looked at the group warily but spoke, "A truck hit their vehicle. That's all I know, go over there and ask for Dr. Michaels."

"Kimberly has a son?" Kat blurted out.

"And he's _yours_?" Aisha gave a disgusted look a Jason. He walked away and went to find a nurse.

"Wow." Rocky said.

"Man, I hope Kim's alright. And Jackson. I can't believe this." Zack said.

Tommy focused on his breathing. He should have never let her leave his house. Then she'd be safe and well and so would Jackson. He grabbed an empty seat, feeling faint. He replayed his morning over and over in his head only wanting to picture Kim alive and with him.

* * *

Jason felt his feet moving him to find a nurse. He almost felt outside of body, but the physical pain he felt reminded him that he was actually asking someone to find out what was going on with Kimberly and Jackson. People he thought he wanted nothing to with.

Years of holding this secret, his shame, and now it was out. A weight was lifted yet he now held a different burden. He had done wrong by Tommy. He was a brother to him. Someone he took under his wing yet was also his equal. He had felt jealousy occasionally but Jason knew Tommy was the best leader to take his place. And Kim never had reciprocated his feelings for her. He didn't know what had gotten into him that night. Maybe it was too many blows to the head or something else, but the Jason of old felt the need to make everything right. Kimberly meant a lot to him at before, he couldn't let her down now as he did in everything else.

" _A truck hit their vehicle. The driver is fine minus a few scrapes and bruises. Ms Hart has a concussion and needed a few stitches in the back of her head. So she'll stay under our watch for right now. Your son Jackson felt most of the hit. Some cuts and bruising. A dislocated arm and fractured rib. He's resting now. He's in the care of the pediatrician on call. It could have been a lot worse. Do you want to see a physician sir? It looks like you might need some stitches over your eye."_

Jason shrugged off the suggestion. He turned back to where the group huddled around Tommy who was sitting with his head hanging.

He went back to them.

"What's going on?" Aisha asked first. "What did you find out?"

"A truck hit their car. They're going to be okay." Jason repeated what the nurse told him.

"I can't believe this is happening. I can't believe she didn't tell me about _you_." Aisha shook her head.

"I'm sure she had her reasons." Zack put his arm around her shoulders.

"Well I thought I was her best friend." She shrugged off Zack's arm around and walked outside. Kat followed them silently.

Jason sat down across from Tommy who still hadn't looked up. Rocky sat next to him with his arms crossed over his chest like a bodyguard.

"I'm sorry." Jason said loud enough to get over the noise of the busy room.

Tommy looked up. "You should be."

"Look, I'm trying to apologize-"

"Well, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Tommy scoffed.

"You're one of them. I'm trying to make things right!" Jason yelled.

"How can you make this right?"

" _This_ isn't my fault, I wasn't driving that truck!"

"No, but if you had done the right thing back then, then she would be with me! She would be okay and wouldn't be here! It's all your fault. I trusted you. She trusted you. And you hurt her. I don't know if there is anything you can do to make that right. I can't stand to look at you. I don't even know why you're here." Tommy stormed off.

Jason sat there letting the truth sink in. Disgusted with himself he stood ready to walk to out when he noticed Rocky still sitting, watching him.

Rocky stood, arms still crossed. "Why'd you say you were that kid's father?"

"What?" The question threw Jason off guard. "Because I, uh, I technically am."

Rocky nodded. "So why are you here?"

Jason looked around. He came here without thinking. Checking on Kimberly and Jackson who both probably hated him. "I-I don't know. She wanted me to be apart of Jackson's life at one point. To make up for what I did. Or just to even to know him. And I was terrible to her. Despite what I did she loves him. And I haven't forgiven myself. I've never apologized. We were friends once. I cared about her. I wanted to make sure I was able to tell her that before I never got the chance to."

Rocky put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "So then maybe you should stick around to tell her."

"You don't know what you're talking won't want to see me."

"Maybe but I've never seen Tommy like this. Sometimes it's easier for someone to learn to accept an apology over time, then for the same mistake mistake to be repeated over and over. If you want to make things right then do it."

Rocky left in the direction that Tommy left.

Jason thought for a moment then went up to the receptionist desk. "Excuse me, hi, I have a weird request. May I have a pen and some paper?"

* * *

 **Dear Readers,**

 **Thank you so much for all of your reviews and for reading my story. Sorry this chapter took a little longer, I just wanted to make sure I got it right. There is a lot I want these characters to work through. Its not easy, but I hope I'm doing them justice. I hope you are all still loving it! Thank you again!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Just A Moment**

Tommy sat uncomfortably in the hospital chair, waiting as patiently as he could. Rocky sat nervously next to him fiddling on his phone. Jason had talked for some time to the triage nurses but after that he had disappeared. Tommy hoped he would stay gone. Aisha had talked Zack into leaving, saying she didn't want to get sick. Katherine left with them looking like she was already sick. Tommy would have asked Aisha to stay for Kimberly's sake but he wasn't in the mood. His back began to hurt so he sat back and closed his eyes. He finally felt the soreness in his ribs and jaw.

His thoughts wandered to Kimberly and their afternoon together. This was something he had imagined happening many times over but nothing compared to actually being with her. He wished they had never left his room. He imagined holding her in his arms and breathing in the scent of her hair. And in a matter of hours all that was almost taken away. He swallowed the lump in his throat when he heard his name being called.

"Tommy." Rocky was trying to wake him. He wasn't sure how long his eyes were closed but he now felt the consequences of that also. He sat up and saw that there was nurse standing over him.

"Hi, sir, you are friends of Ms. Kimberly Hart?" The blonde woman had a high bun and sort of friendly smile.

"Yeah. I, mean, yes. Can we know what's going on?" Tommy stood all too quickly.

"She's asking for a Tommy Oliver. I suppose that's you?" She asked. Tommy nodded and then looked at Rocky.

"I can only take one visitor in at this time." The nurse quickly added.

"Don't worry. I'll wait for you, man." Rocky nodded.

Tommy followed the nurse down a winding hallway careful to avoid the hospital beds and bustling hospital personnel.

He walked into a room and saw Kimberly sitting up in her hospital bed. She was hooked up to a few monitors. There was some blood on her pillow and her hair was loose and messy. Her eyes were closed until she heard them enter. She soon as saw him her eyes filled with tears.

"I'll leave you two. But don't stay too long. We don't want to tire her out." The nurse warned and left.

Tommy quickly went to her side.

"Oh Kim." He gingerly kissed the top of her hair. Then he pulled up a chair and held her hand.

"Tommy, I...I don't know what happened. It was all so fast." Kimberly spoke shakily. "I want to see Jackson. He...he was hit first, I think." She used her other hand to wipe her face.

"Kim, they said it was a truck that hit you. I'm just so glad you both are okay." Tommy kissed her hand.

"Okay? We're not okay! I'm not okay…" Kim slowly shook her head and winced.

"I know...but you're here…" Tommy said trying to be optimistic.

"Jackson could have died. What was I thinking?" Kim spoke as if she were alone. Her grip on his hand loosened.

"That truck hit _you_ Kimberly. He was in the wrong. There was nothing you could have done to prevent that accident." Tommy spoke slowly, feeling like he was talking her off a ledge.

"I could have not been in that car." Kimberly whispered. Tommy felt his stomach turn. He slowly let go of her hand.

"What do you mean?" Tommy focused on her hospital wristband.

"In one day...one day...never in all of his 10 years has he ever been in the hospital for something like this. I mean, for the flu, yes. But an accident. He wouldn't be in here, with broken bones…" She began to cry again. She covered her face briefly. "I'm a mother first now, Tommy."

"I know that Kim, believe me. I wouldn't try to come between you and Jackson, believe me-"

"In one day, I sleep with you, and get my son put into the hospital!"

"Kim, that's not the way to look at this!" He said in disbelief.

"I need to protect him. And put him first! I can't rehash a high school crush! We shouldn't have been in that car!"

Tommy felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. He was the one who asked her to come out this evening. They could both be home and safe, if it weren't for him. But something else struck him harder

"A high school crush?" He heard himself say and immediately kicked himself mentally.

"Kim we are way more that. Is that all this afternoon was to you? A flashback in time?" Tommy heard himself getting upset.

"If this afternoon didn't happen," Kim looked out the window, "then Jackson and I wouldn't be here. I forgot myself for a moment."

Tommy scoffed against his better judgement, but everything hurt. His body and now his heart.

"Kim, you can't believe that."

"I think you should go. I just really want to be alone. Please." Kimberly stared out of the window as tears fell down her face. Tommy fought the urge to stay and talk some sense into her. But maybe their "moment" this afternoon was all he was ever supposed to have of her. He winced as he stood.

"Goodbye Kimberly." He swallowed and slowly walked out. His feet carried him back to the ER waiting room. All of the noise in the room was just a hum. He looked through the mass of people and saw Rocky standing against a wall near the entrance.

"Hey, how is she?" Rocky pushed off the wall as Tommy walked closer.

"She's...been better."

"Well, she was literally hit by a truck…" Rocky half joked. Tommy just looked over his shoulder. "Bad joke, I get it."

"She wants to be alone." Tommy nodded to himself, as if in agreement. "She just wants to be alone."

Rocky knew that look on his friend's face. Things were not okay... again.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Dear fans,**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I sincerely apologize for the extremely delayed update. I will be updating more this week. Please stay tuned! Thank you**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - The Letter

Kimberly could not wait to be in her own bed and home. She was tired of the smell of the hospital even though it had only been a few days. You would think Jackson had only tripped and scraped his knee by his upbeat attitude.

"I really wanted a cast. That way everyone at school could have signed it." Jackson complained. The doctors had finally agreed to discharge him. They wanted to make sure he was actually fine and not going into shock. He took everything like a champ.

"Hi, I'm supposed to see you regarding discharge papers and payment. For Kimberly and Jackson Hart." Kimberly spoke to the discharge nurse through the thick plastic window.

Jackson was messing was his sling. "Jackson, stop that! You don't want to hurt yourself any further." Kimberly scolded.

"Aw mom, I'm fine, really. This sling is annoying though." Jackson shrugged trying to move it around.

"You just have to get used to it the doctor said." Kim said. She turned back to the nurse who had handed her a bundle of papers to sign. She signed where she needed to and wondered if anyone ever read packet of papers. She handed them back to the woman who filed them away quickly. Kimberly waited as the woman looked at something on her computer. The nurse noticed her staring.

"That was all ma'am." She gave a half smile.

"Oh. Well I expected there to be a bill." Kimberly said. Wondering if this was the nurses first day.

"Oh! Um, " she pulled out a file and looked through it. "Here we go. This letter is for you."

"Okay...and the bill is in here?" Kimberly was getting a little annoyed.

"Your bill was taken care of ma'am." The nurse answered politely. "I was told by my supervisor to give you that letter when you were discharged."

"Taken care of? By whom?" Kim asked overwhelmed by the news.

The nurse clicked away at her computer and answered, "Mr. Scott? He must like you very much."

Kim stared dumbfounded.

"Who's that mom?" Jackson asked. She had almost forgotten he was there.

"No one." She turned back to the nurse. "There must be a mistake. There's no way he would...how did he...when did he…?"

The nurse shrugged. "You might want to read your letter?"

Kimberly looked at the letter in her hand which felt like it weighed a ton. She started to feel a little dizzy.

"Mom, can we go home now? Is everything okay?" Jackson stared at the letter too.

"I, uh, I suppose so. I'm sorry. Thank you." She gave a nod to the nurse and turn and left. Her head was pounding and she felt on edge getting into the taxi. She had Jackson sit right in the middle, away from any windows. He didn't argue with her logic and she was grateful for the silence on the way home.

When she got home she immediately showered. She stayed under the water until her skin began to wrinkle. Jackson knocked on her bedroom door after asking what's for dinner. She gave him money and told him to order in. And she stayed in her room.

She sat wrapped in her bathrobe and looked at the letter again. The room felt immediately smaller. She had given him chances to right his wrongs. Now he showed up out of the blue and paid her hospital bill? How did he know where to find her? What did he say? What did it all mean?

She took a deep breathe and reached for the envelope.

 _Kimberly,_

 _I don't know if you're reading this or if you'll just burn it. It's very distracting sitting in a ER waiting room. But I'll get to the point. We used to be friends. We were teammates; rangers. We had to learn to trust each other to get each other out of tight spots. We depended on each other to survive, to have each others backs. I did like you, more than a friend at one point. I never expressed my feelings though. I knew you loved Tommy which made my actions all the more horrid. I am so, so sorry Kimberly. That night wasn't your fault, my actions were not your fault, your actions after that night were nothing to be ashamed of. I am ashamed of myself. For breaking your trust. For hurting you. I was drunk, jealous, and stupid. I never thought I could do something like that. I am trying to make up for it. And I have been for a while. I want to apologize for that time 9 years ago at the mall as well. Jackson should be proud to have a mother like you. But it scares me that I'm his father. I just can't bear the thought of what he would think of me. I can't forgive myself. It all depends on you. I'm sorry you were in this accident, and Jackson as well so I wanted to take care of the hospital bill. I'm not asking to be apart of Jackson's life. He is a great kid because of your doing. Not mine. And he, like any child, deserves the best life can offer. I just wanted to help you out, this once. And apologize._

 _Please forgive me, if I even deserve that…_

 _Jason_

Kimberly didn't realize she had been crying until the ink on the letter started to run.

Jackson opened the door.

"Hey do you want-Mom! What's wrong?" He noticed the letter and walked over to her.

Kim immediately folded it and stashed it under her leg.

"Jackson! Hon, I'm fine." Kimberly wiped her face. "What is it you wanted?"

Jackson hesitated. "Do you want Chinese or Italian?"

"Whatever you want, kiddo." Kimberly sniffed. She gave him a small smile.

"Was that from Tommy? Did he pay our hospital bill?" Jackson finally asked.

"What? No. It wasn't him." She tightened her robe.

"Oh. Are you guys going to make up your date?" Jackson looked at his feet.

"That's the last thing on my mind right now. I'm only worried about you getting better." Kimberly stood and stuffed the letter in her pocket.

"Mom, I said I'm fine. Aren't you going to let him know we're home?" Jackson followed his mother out of her room. But stopped short when she turned around.

"Jackson, that is enough with the questions. How about we eat now and talk later. Sounds good?" Kimberly walked away without waiting for an answer.

"Sure" Jackson said under his breath, even though he no longer felt hungry.


End file.
